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Citizen engagement integral part of comp plan update
Ashland Museum hosts international students PAGE
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Vol. 7 No. 13 | Richmond Suburban News | November 24, 2021
Public hearing set for redistricting plan By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local
Jim Ridolphi / The Local
Mayor Steve Trivett welcomes visitors to the lawn at Town Hall in Ashland where approximately 1,000 gathered to light up the tree and begin Ashland’s glorious Holiday celebration, Light Up the Tracks. Several council members commented on the success of the project at last week’s council meeting.
Heritage park result of community partnerships By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local A plan to construct a heritage park in the Berkleytown area of Ashland gathered momentum at last week’s Ashland Town Council meeting. The panel unanimously endorsed an action item that formally placed the proposed site under Town control. HanoverKing William Habitat for Humanity donated the property to the town. Town Manger Josh Farrar said accepting a piece of property does not usually warrant council action, “but this one has a story to it and we wanted to make sure to present it to you and share the story.” The property is owned by Hanover Habitat. “Unfortunately the way that development has occurred in this area, it’s largely un-developable from a resi-
dential home perspective,” Farrar said. Habitat initiated discussions with the town to query them on possible uses for the property and gauge their interest in obtaining the property, assessed by the county at $43,000. “They talked to us about the possibility of creating a park,” Farrar said. Carolyn Hemphill of the Hanover Black Heritage Society also was contacted by Robinson and got involved in the discussions, noting the property was located in Berkleytown, a historically African American portion of the town with a rich history. “We saw the start of an opportunity to do something really cool with a piece of property that probably otherwise wouldn’t be developed or put to great use,” Farrar said. see HERITAGE, pg. 7
Hanover supervisors approved a request for a public hearing next month regarding the adjustment of magisterial districts in the county. The U.S. Constitution requires localities to provide equal and proportional representation, and the Constitution of Virginia mandates that localities redistrict every 10 years. The state requires that “election districts shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and shall be constituted as to give, as nearly as practicable, representation in proportion to the population of the district.” “The county’s magisterial districts are subject to redistricting requirements set forth in the consti-
tution of Virginia,” County Attorney Dennis Walter said. The courts have also been injected into the redistricting discussion and process and endorsed the one person, one vote concept and encouraged strict compliance. However, court decisions have also codified that some mathematical deviation is acceptable and have accepted a 5% rate as acceptable. The number of residents in each magisterial district can vary by 5% in the number of total voters. “There is a recognition that we are not an evenly spread out population so mathematical exactness and equity isn’t always achievable, so there are some deviations that are permitted,” Walter said. see REDISTRICTING, pg. 5
Jim Ridolphi / The Local
County attorney Dennis Walter presented a draft redistricting plan and asked supervisors to approve a public hearing Dec. 8. The plan must be submitted to the Commonwealth’s Attorney General’s Office by Dec. 31, 2021.
Final FY21 financial numbers exceed projections By Jim Ridolphi For Ashland-Hanover Local Finance Division Director Lauren Null told supervisors the financial news was good for Hanover County as she presented a positive annual financial report for the fiscal year that ended June 30 earlier this month. Null shared the annual financial report with board members at a meeting earlier this month and the full financial report is available on the county’s website. “Fiscal Year 2021 revenues totaled $280.6 million, which is 5% higher than the appropriated budget,” Null said. “Final year-end transfers and expenditures totaled $258 million, or
Jim Ridolphi / The Local
Departing Finance Director Jacob Sumner attended his last meeting recently.
94% of the appropriated budget.” Those figures resulted in a positive operating balance for the county that totaled $31.2 million.
“The combination of additional revenues and lower expenditures results in an operating balance of $31.2 million, which is primarily planned to be spent in FY 2022 county and school budget and the five-year capital plan,” Null said. “Of the $48.7 million in fund balance assignments, $12.7 million has already been appropriated by the board for FY22 budget and the fiveyear financial plan,” Null said. “The remaining assignments for economic development, education, reserve capital projects and public works projects for stormwater and transportation total $35.9 million.” That fund balance is well within see FY21 pg. 19