Board discussion heats up

STAFFORD — After debating the issue Tuesday, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted against a proposal from a fellow supervisor that could have drawn them a step closer to obtaining an at-large board chairman for the county.

Stafford Supervisor Paul Milde has championed the issue of making an at-large board chairman a referendum on the ballot next year. His move to enlist support from voters started this past Election Day as signatures were collected on petitions. Milde said that approximately 7,000 signatures were collected, indicating that 10 percent of the electorate is in favor of the idea.

Among those in favor of such a move is former at-large supervisor Ferris Belman, who has gone on record in support.

Sterling voiced his support for such a move. He has stated that if such a move were made it should come after the census when redistricting becomes in issue. He said he would prefer dividing the county into six districts and electing a chairman, maintaining the seven member board.

Supervisor Harry Crisp, D-George Washington, voiced his opposition to the move, noting that the current way works, even if it’s not perfect. Such a position would be a centralization of power, he said, and it could last several terms, too.

Crisp also expressed displeasure at Milde's method of obtaining the signatures, indicating that the Aquia supervisor had misled many of those adherents he was recruiting.

“Some people thought that it would be a direct way to the ballot,” he said.

Chairman George Schwartz, D-Falmouth, lambasted Milde for his actions.

“How can you say such a position is not partisan? It's been partisan for years. These signatories, they were signing these things without knowing what they were signing,” he said, indicating that the forms led such people to believe they were signing Commonwealth forms.

Brito questioned how many of the workers who helped with the petition were paid and how many were not from the county. He opined that “big money was trying to influence politics.”

But Sterling said he did not “endorse the process of how we got here.”

“I'm looking at the fundamental idea of letting the people choose the chairman,” he said. “I would say to my colleagues, set aside how we got here. Is it right? Is it or isn't it a good idea to let the people make that decision?”

Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer, R-Garrisonville, called Milde's efforts exercising “the American way,” indicating that his colleague was trying to enlist grassroots support for his idea.

In the end, the board voted against Milde's proposal by a vote of 4-3, with Milde, Dudenhefer, and Sterling casting the dissenting votes.

In other news, the board voted to make Inauguration Day a county holiday.

After discussion on the Jan. 20 date, supervisors voted 5-2 in favor of closing county government offices that day.

Supervisors Joe Brito, I-Hartwood, and Paul Milde, R-Aquia, voted against the move, citing fiscal reasons.

Brito stated that fire and rescue and sheriff's office personnel would be paid overtime for working on a holiday. He asked how much that would cost the county.

County Administrator Anthony Romanello replied that the cost would be $20,000.

Also at the board meeting:

• the board heard a presentation on transportation impact fees.
• heads of various county departments presented information regarding capital improvements.
• the Board voted unanimously to resolve to seek economic stimulus money to help defray transportation funding.

The board's next regularly scheduled meeting will take place Jan. 6 at 1 p.m.

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.