In preparation for the upcoming General Assembly session, which begins Jan. 8, Hanover County’s Board of Supervisors approved its legislative agenda late last year.
County Attorney Dennis Walter presented several key issues to the board, including proposals around cannabis use, enhancing local governing bodies' authority and maintaining local authority on land-use issues.
“Hanover County is fortunate to have good working relationships with Sen. [Ryan] McDougle, Del. [Buddy] Fowler and Del. [Scott] Wyatt, and the county will continue to work with them on pending legislation and the state budget bill,” Walter told VPM News.
Parts of Hanover are also represented by the seat in Virginia’s 10th Senate District, a post that was vacated by newly-elected U.S. Rep. John McGuire. A special election to determine who will fill his seat is scheduled to take place Tuesday — right before the General Assembly convenes.
Walter told VPM News prior to the special election that the county hopes results are certified as quickly as possible, so the winning candidate can be briefed on Hanover’s legislative priorities. Discussions over legislation related to the siting of solar facilities and data centers are among the county’s chief concerns.
“The Board of Supervisors is aware that there have been bills, and likely will be more, that seek to remove or limit local authority on these land use decisions,” Walter said. “The board opposes any attempt to reduce the authority of local governing bodies to make land-use decisions.”
The board has been presented with a number of development plans for solar facilities and data centers: Some were approved with scrutiny from neighboring residents and others denied.
From the county’s perspective, its elected officials are in the best position to determine whether a potential location for a solar facility or data center is appropriate and to ensure facilities are designed in a way that reduces off-site impacts as much as possible.
Walters stated that supervisors make these decisions with the utmost care, after considering the locality’s comprehensive plan, local zoning and other ordinances, and the views of the public — especially those who would be most affected by proposed facilities.
Bills in the General Assembly, like HB338 and HJ64, could affect how localities make those decisions. The Joint Audit Legislative Committee also presented its report on data centers, which could help determine if additional bills around the issue are introduced.
Local authority
The board also indicated its support for a bill that would grant localities “the unqualified power of removal for appointed members of boards, committees or commissions who receive compensation for their service.”
Hanover’s supervisors make appointments to several local governing committees — like the planning commission, the community services board, social services advisory board and the school board.
Residents in Hanover have objected to the process in recent years — largely in connection with the school board.
Although the county isn’t looking to change its current procedures, the board agreed that having the ability to remove appointed members would add a new level of accountability within the county.
“One of the things that people have shared with numerous board members over the years is when you appoint someone, who are they accountable to,” Henry Supervisor Sean Davis said during an October meeting.
Despite the board having the authority to remove some of its appointees with cause and/or through a court petition, Davis said giving the board more unilateral authority to remove appointees would provide a new level of oversight.
Del. Buddy Fowler will advocate and represent the county on multiple matters during the upcoming GA session. He told VPM News that addressing the challenges of data centers and energy production will likely be the most talked about issues.
“Looking into the future, the challenge comes down to the electrical grid,” Fowler said. “Dominion, of course, has certain ideas.”
Fowler said he was thrilled to see bipartisan support for investing in energy production — like the projects in Louisa and Chesterfield counties.
“Folks have come to the realization that we need an ‘all-in’ energy policy,” Fowler said. "I think we're in the process of understanding what that might look like.”
