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Buckingham supervisors suspend rotation, appoint Chambers chair after 4-3 vote
Summary
Supervisor Davis asked to forgo the automatic chair rotation citing work conflicts; the board voted 4-3 to temporarily suspend the bylaws rotation and install Joe Chambers as chair and Danny Allen as vice chair.
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 to temporarily suspend a portion of the board bylaws that govern the annual rotation of the chair and vice chair, and appointed Supervisor Joe Chambers as chair with Supervisor Danny Allen to serve as vice chair.
The measure was brought by Supervisor Davis, who said his work schedule prevents him from serving effectively. "I just don't see how I can effectively fit to the level that I need to as chairman," Davis said during the organizational discussion, and moved that the board "temporarily suspend part of the bylaws to deal with this rotation of members." He said he was "going to the back of the line." The board then voted to suspend the rotation and install Chambers and Allen.
The motion overrides a rotation schedule the board adopted in 2016 and updated through 2024. Several supervisors urged sticking to the rotation to ensure each district has an opportunity to serve on the planning commission. One supervisor summarized the earlier rationale for the rotation: it "was to make it fair for everybody so everybody would get a chance to serve either as vice chair or as chairman." Opponents of changing the rotation argued that returning to vote-based selection would risk favoring popularity over equal district representation.
Board members debated whether changing the order would deny some districts the planning commission seat that accompanies the vice chair role. Supporters of the suspension said it was a single-member accommodation rather than a permanent rule change; opponents said the board had voted last year to establish the rotation and should follow it. Following the 4-3 tally, the meeting was turned over to Supervisor Chambers as chair.
The suspension was adopted by voice/vote with a recorded tally of 4 in favor and 3 opposed. The motion's mover was Supervisor Davis; the transcript did not record a named seconder. The board did not amend the written bylaws during the meeting; the suspension applies to the organizational rotation for 2025 only.
