Washington County, Va., Supervisors Discuss Quicker Meetings

By Debra McCown
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 23, 2008

ABINGDON, Va. – After 45 minutes of discussion on the length and structure of meetings, members of the Washington County Board of Supervisors voted at Tuesday’s regular meeting to try for shorter meetings.

They gave the board chairman the authority to adjourn regular board meetings no later than 10 p.m. – unless the chairman deems it necessary to carry the meeting later.

Supervisors also voted to prioritize agendas, add a 10-minute warning at 9:50 p.m., limit board member reports to five minutes per member and limit discussion to items on which a motion has been made and seconded.

“I think a lot of times that’s what extends the meeting. We get into these long discussions before the motion is made, and many times the discussion becomes meaningless, and we tend to beat some of these issues into the ground,” said Supervisor Odell Owens as the discussion wore on.

“I think we’re pretty much demonstrating right now why we need this,” he added.

There was a consensus not to call for a vote on issues until all members had ample time for comment.

The board also voted to label this year’s cuts in state funding as “Local Aid to the Commonwealth.”

County Administrator Mark Reeter said the resolution is a “somewhat tongue-in-cheek” way for county governments to send a message to the Virginia General Assembly.

“We’ve been seriously injured [by funding cuts] and it’s not going to be any better next year,” said Supervisor Jack McCrady. “The financial stability of some localities, I would say, is in peril because of what happened this last General Assembly session.”

Supervisor Paul Price said everyone is hurt by a recession.

“We’ve got grants and grants and more grants, and we’ve got spoiled, and we all knowed reality: one day, some of this money is going to run out,” Price said, “and it’s coming reality time.”

| (276) 791-0701