A new year brings two new leaders to the York County Board of Supervisors.
Thomas Shepperd Jr. (District 5) who has been on the board since 2002, was elected chairman for the fourth time Tuesday at the board’s first meeting of the year.
George Hrichak (District 4), who has been serving since 2007, was elected vice chairman for the second time.
Traditionally, the York County vice chairman is nominated to be chairman the following year. This year was no different, with Vice Chairman Shepperd, who represents the areas of Tabb and Bethel, replacing Supervisor Don Wiggins, who was voted chairman for 2014.
The board broke the tradition in 2013, when Supervisor Sheila Noll — then vice chairman — was snubbed of the chairman role, which instead went to Supervisor Walt Zaremba.
Noll, who has not sat in the chairman position since 1999, abstained from voting in both the chairman and vice chairman elections Tuesday.
Shepperd, who was nominated by Hrichak, said he looked forward to the board’s annual retreat, in which supervisors spend time reviewing the county’s goals, major projects and more.
“I appreciate the confidence in the fact that we’ll get through this next year and continue on a successful road for the county,” Shepperd said to his fellow supervisors.
He told WYDaily he was prepared for upcoming budget decisions and said the economy was looking “better and brighter.”
He also pointed to tourism, transportation and housing developments in the county as something he wanted to keep an eye on this year.
Shepperd, who holds a town hall meeting every year, also serves as commissioner on the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization and the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facility Alliance.
Supervisors also voted Tuesday to include a section in the board’s rules of procedure that allow supervisors to participate in a meeting remotely by telephone if they are unable t0 attend due to an emergency or personal matter. Each supervisor may participate remotely for a maximum of two meetings per year.
