Isle of Wight supervisors name Thomas DeStefano as recommended interim appointee; set joint school budget meeting

The Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors on an evening meeting announced Thomas DeStefano as the board—s recommended candidate for the interim District 2 seat and voted to schedule a joint meeting with the Isle of Wight school board on March 27 at 6 p.m.

Chairman Rosie said the board had "come up with 1 candidate that we're gonna be recommending," naming Thomas DeStefano as that candidate. The meeting included a closed-session discussion on the appointment and legal consultation under the Code of Virginia before returning to open session and announcing the recommendation.

The recommendation is an interim step: County Attorney (name not specified in the record) told the board the interim appointment process must comply with Virginia Code requirements, including making an appointment within 45 days of the office becoming vacant and holding a public meeting at least seven days before the interim appointment in which the board announces the proposed appointee(s) and makes the candidate—s resume available for inspection. The attorney said the board must act within the 45-day window that ends no later than March 11 and that the appointment is effective only until the special election fills the unexpired term.

Supervisors said the appointment is intended to be temporary until the special election set for Nov. 4, when the winner will be eligible to assume office once results are certified; the unexpired term will run through Dec. 31, 2027. The filing deadline for candidates for the special election was given as Aug. 15, 2025. The county attorney also directed interested parties to the Virginia Department of Elections website for additional information.

Board members who spoke during the discussion framed their recommendation around continuity with the late Will McCarty, who previously held the District 2 seat. Supervisor [name not provided] said DeStefano "is the closest thing we probably have to the person that the people in District 2 elected to represent them" and noted the need for a representative familiar with the budget process. Another supervisor referenced DeStefano's service on the planning commission and as lead or sponsor on local efforts, saying that background made him "well qualified" to serve in the interim.

The board took the following formal actions during the item: it moved into closed session under the Code of Virginia to discuss the interim appointment and legal advice, certified the closed session upon return, and later voted to call a special joint meeting with the school board for March 27 at 6 p.m. in the same meeting room so the school board could present its adopted budget and answer supervisor questions before the county manager issues a budget recommendation.

During general discussion about the upcoming county budget process, county and school officials mentioned several state-level items affecting next year—s school budget, including a reported 3% state cost-of-living increase and a one-time $1,000 bonus for certain school positions. Officials said some details were still unclear from state guidance and that the county manager's recommended budget will be presented to supervisors on April 3. Staff noted the county receives limited direct federal funding, that most federal dollars arrive via social services or regional grants, and that a federal congressional grant earmarked for a Riverside water tank (about $1,250,000 as described by staff) remains in active grant processing with EPA and the member of Congress's office.

The board agreed that the formal interim appointment will be made at the March 6 work session; the appointee may be sworn in soon afterward once required economic disclosure forms are completed and filed with the clerk, and could sit at the board's March 20 regular meeting. No final interim appointment was recorded in this meeting; the board's action at this session was to announce the candidate they intend to recommend and to schedule the joint school budget meeting.