Madison County supervisors voted to endorse the Rappahannock Regional Commission (PD9) legislative platform and to support staff recommendations to press for changes to Senate Bill 974 that would preserve local planning review.

Mr. Weekley reviewed the draft platform, noting much of it carries forward from prior years. He said staff and supervisors have focused on resisting state measures that would remove local zoning authority, highlighting Senate Bill 974 as an example. He described a proposed change to raise the population threshold in the bill from 5,000 to 20,000 so that more counties would retain the ability to have their planning commissions review site plans rather than a mandatory administrative approval process.

Supervisor and citizen efforts — including a letter circulated by Jim Smith and outreach to Sen. Reeves and others — prompted a commitment to consider the amendment in the legislature, Weekley said. Board members said endorsing the regional platform would add weight to local concerns when presented by counties across PD9.

The board moved, seconded and approved endorsing the platform and including the SB 974 change in the county's legislative priorities.