By Heather Michon
Correspondent
At one point, Wednesday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting (Aug. 21) looked like it might last under 30 minutes.
A vote on the conditions of a private road in a subdivision was deferred until next August. A VDOT speed survey on Dobby Creek Road (Rt. 622) was approved. Two public hearings were completed within minutes, after which supervisors approved a waiver for a slightly oversized sign at the Wawa soon to be under construction at Zion Crossroads and a new $5 electronic summons fee for the county courts.
But there was some new business.
After the county voting districts were redrawn in late 2021, the town of Palmyra was no longer in the Palmyra District. Board chair Chris Fairchild (Cunningham) is concerned that it could confuse younger voters or those new to the area.
County Administrator Eric Dahl said supervisors could rename all five districts or just one. The process is similar to any ordinance change, with nothing more needed than an advertised public hearing and a majority vote of the board. He estimated the costs to be between $3,000-4,000 for a single district and $17,000-$20,000 for all five districts, mostly to cover mailings to alert voters to the change.
There was no apparent appetite to change all district names. “I would be very against changing the name of the Fork Union District,” said Fork Union’s Supervisor Mike Goad.
Tim Hodge, who currently represents Palmyra District, had some ideas, including ‘Beaverdam.’ The polling place for the district is now Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Troy, and seems likely to stay in the location for many years to come.
Any changes would take place after the November elections. At the urging of County Registrar Joyce Pace, supervisors would wait until sometime between January and June of 2025 to make a final decision.
The meeting ended after about fifty minutes, with Tony O’Brien (Rivanna) stepping out from behind the meeting table and stepping up to the podium to comment as a citizen.
He noted that Mike Sheridan (Columbia) had arrived at the meeting a couple of minutes late, carrying his dinner in a to-go bag.
O’Brien explained that after coaching football, Sheridan stopped to get himself a meal when he noticed somebody who looked like they needed a hand. So he handed over his meal and went back inside to get another.
“I just want to recognize Mr. Sheridan as being an extraordinary individual,” said O’Brien. “He’s somebody who gives to the community non-stop.”
