The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE – A citizens’ committee is expecting to give final approval to a proposal to consolidate the governments of Alleghany County and Covington July 13.
Meeting at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Tuesday night, the Citizens Committee to Perfect a Consolidation Agreement continued to fine tune its proposal.
The committee also held a public hearing on its overall plan to consolidate the two governments into the city of Alleghany Highlands.
A separate hearing was held on scenarios for election districts in the consolidated city.
Earlier in the evening, the committee met with Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Hot Springs, and Del. Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg, to discuss General Assembly legislation that will be needed to move plans for the proposed city forward.
Deeds and Shuler are being asked to introduce several pieces of legislation, including a charter for the new city and legislation to obtain State Compensation Board funding for law enforcement officers.
The consolidation plan calls for the creation of a city sheriff’s office that will oversee law enforcement. General Assembly approval is needed to provide State Compensation Board funding for deputies.
The city sheriff’s office is part of the committee’s attempt to blend aspects of county government into the consolidated city.
“It’s a city, but it’s a county in part, and that’s affected some state funding issues,” said consolidation attorney Carter Glass IV of Richmond.
Deeds and Shuler said they will work closely with Glass and committee representatives on the needed legislation. Deeds, however, said the legislation should be carefully worded because it could set a precedent for future governmental consolidations in the state.
“The key is that you draw the legislation as narrowly as possible, because whatever you do, it’s going to be precedential all over the state of Virginia,” Deeds said. “The argument has to be that we are going to create efficiency, we are going to save the state some money.”
Shuler lauded the consolidation committee for its work and noted that governors and other high-ranking state officials stressed the need for greater governmental cooperation when visiting the Highlands.
“The message has always been, ‘Get together folks, as a region, if you want to get some help from Richmond,'” Shuler said.
Deeds also praised the committee for its work and noted that its task is far from over. If the consolidation proposal clears the Virginia Commission on Local Government and a three-judge panel, ultimate approval would come from voters in Alleghany County and Covington.
“You’ve really got an impossible task given the prejudices, given the kingdoms, and you’ve knocked down some walls to get this far,” Deeds said.
Former Alleghany County Supervisor Mac Campbell was the only person to speak during the public hearing on the consolidation plan.
“I really appreciate what has gone into this,” Campbell told the committee.
He did say, however, that he is concerned that Virginia State Police coverage in the consolidated city could end after the initial 10 years.
“That concerns me a little bit, but overall, I am very satisfied with what the committee has done in the best way it could do to try to address everybody’s concerns,” Campbell said.
Several committee members said they were disappointed that there was little public interest in Tuesday night’s hearing.
“We are trying to keep the citizens at the forefront at all times. That’s why we are having another public hearing tonight,” said committee co-chairman George Goode of Clifton Forge.
There were no comments from the public on the scenarios to create election districts in the consolidated city. The proposals were drawn up by John Hull, regional economic development manager with the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission in Roanoke.
Using 2000 Census data, Hull attempted to draw seven election districts, each containing approximately 3,360 residents. Hull said his proposal will probably have to be revised after the data from the 2010 Census is released early next year.
Two of the scenarios presented by Hull Tuesday outlined proposals for a minority-based election district. One proposal calls for a barbell shaped district that would stretch from Covington to Clifton Forge and include areas of Valley Ridge and Low Moor. The other proposal for a minority district would be crane shaped and basically entail the same areas.
Glass said minorities must be considered in crafting election districts to meet U.S. Justice Department Requirements. He said that since changes will probably have to be made to the districts after Census figures are released next year, the committee may want to defer making a final decision.
The committee is considering giving final approval to its consolidation proposal July 13. The plan would then be submitted by Glass to the Commission on Local Government in the fall.
The COLG would review the plan and visit the Highlands next spring to hold hearings. An affirmative recommendation from the COLG would lead to the appointment of a three-judge panel.
The panel, appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court, would review the consolidation plan and issue a recommendation of its own. If the plan clears the judicial panel, referendums would likely be held in Alleghany County and Covington in November 2011.
If the consolidation plan passes in each jurisdiction, the two governments would merge on Jan. 1, 2013.
