Franklin County supervisors elect Ronnie Thompson chair, name Lori Smith vice chair; set regular meeting schedule and joint school meeting

The Franklin County Board of Supervisors elected Ronnie Thompson chairman and named Supervisor Lori Smith vice chair during its organizational meeting Thursday, Jan. 2.

The board opened nominations for chair and, after a single nomination for Ronnie Thompson and a motion to elect him, approved his selection by acclamation. The board then opened nominations for vice chair; after a roll-call vote, Lori Smith won 4-3 over Tim Tatum.

The board also set its regular meeting schedule for 3 p.m. on the board's scheduled Tuesdays while keeping Thursday meetings available as optional work sessions, adopted the county's holiday schedule that follows the Commonwealth of Virginia calendar, and scheduled a joint meeting with the Franklin County School Board for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, at the Franklin Center, 50 Claiborne Avenue in Rocky Mount.

Why this matters: The chair and vice chair organize the board's…