Staggered-terms amendment passes

By Jenny Ratzel

Last year, four of the five members of the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors were newly elected. On Tuesday, 86 percent of voters said they don't want such a thorough turnover in the future.

County voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to create staggered terms so that only a portion of the board can be replaced. When supporters of staggered terms approached the board last February, they got little support and some outright hostility.

So they started a grass-roots petition campaign, and celebrated a decisive victory Tuesday.

The amendment makes supervisors elected biennially for staggered four-year terms.

Supporters said staggered terms will guard against boards having to start from scratch on important issues. After the last election, new board members had “no idea what was happening," said Henry Simpson III, a county resident who owns Lexington Antiques. "The amendment makes perfect sense," said Simpson, who voted for the amendment.

Citizens waged a campaign for the amendment by printing posters and making buttons and stickers.

Along with these citizens, board member Carroll Comstock, who was newly elected last term, said he’s been in favor of the change since it was brought earlier this year.

Comstock admitted some time may have been lost as the new members became acclimated to the position and each other but that he proposed the amendment and received no support from the other four members.

Another member of the board, Harvey Hotinger, thinks the amendment “stinks.” Hotinger said things have always run smoothly without such an amendment. “If it ain't broke, don’t fix it,” he said.

Hotinger claimed the amendment was proposed by people who ran for office and lost, but he acknowledged he did not have specific names in mind. He maintained that the amendment campaign was a waste of time and that nothing will change.

Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.

Lead supervisor:      Prof. Claudette Artwick

Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming

Editing supervisor:  Prof. Pamela Luecke

Technical supervisor:  Michael Todd