By: The Editorial Board | GoDanRiver
Published: September 19, 2012 Updated: September 19, 2012 - 6:00 AM
Published: September 19, 2012 Updated: September 19, 2012 - 6:00 AM
Who cares if the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors passes a resolution?
As a Dillon Rule state, Virginia’s cities, counties and towns are politically subservient to the state government. Richmond can simply ignore Chatham’s wishes. It has that power.
That makes the recent controversy over a proposed uranium mining resolution that was removed from the board of supervisors’ agenda on Sept. 4 an interesting twist on an already-contentious debate in Virginia.
State Sen. Bill Stanley was taped during an Aug. 31 telephone conversation telling Callands-Gretna Supervisor Jerry Hagerman that Gov. Bob McDonnell told him to "reach out" to supervisors about the proposed resolution.
Since the story broke, Stanley has said he was frustrated and misspoke about the governor’s role behind his telephone campaign while McDonnell’s office has vigorously denied telling Stanley to lean on supervisors in Pittsylvania County.
Why is this important if resolutions are not?
Even if we take the governor’s office at its word that McDonnell had nothing to do with Stanley lobbying elected local officials, then we’re left with a state senator who doesn’t know his place and the possibility of a bombshell development coming out of Chatham.
It’s obvious that Bill Stanley has no business telling elected public officials in Pittsylvania County how they should vote on a local matter.
Stanley appeared concerned that the uranium mining resolution might have made people mad or that it wasn’t strong enough for ether side. Well, Sen. Stanley, that’s a real risk in politics — an elected public official might make people angry.
While Virginia is a Dillon Rule state and it’s up to the General Assembly to decide the uranium mining question, members of the legislature who are on the fence would be moved by the thoughts of the local government that will be most directly affected by lifting the moratorium.
If the members of the Board of Supervisors, who meet just a few miles from Coles Hill, have concerns about uranium mining, that would carry a lot of weight in Richmond — especially if members of the local board oppose lifting Virginia’s moratorium.
This controversy has shown just how much influence members of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors have in this debate — if they’re willing to get off the sidelines.
