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Board petitions court to skip special election after sheriff’s retirement, adopts appreciation resolution
Summary
The Board requested that the Circuit Court not order a special election following Sheriff John R. Charboneau’s Dec. 31, 2022 retirement and unanimously adopted an appreciation resolution recognizing his 40+ years of service; a public commenter raised concerns about a deputy-involved accident and access to records.
On Jan. 9 the King and Queen County Board of Supervisors voted to request, pursuant to Va. Code § 24.2-228.1, that the Circuit Court not order a special election to fill the vacancy created by Sheriff John R. Charboneau’s retirement effective Dec. 31, 2022. The resolution was moved by Supervisor S. C. Alsop and passed by recorded unanimous vote.
The Board also adopted a separate resolution expressing appreciation for Sheriff Charboneau’s more than 40 years of service, citing his roles from dispatcher through chief deputy and elected sheriff, and noting his involvement with the Virginia Sheriff’s Association and regional security initiatives. The appreciation resolution enumerated technological and procedural improvements during his tenure, including regional radio and dispatch upgrades.
During public comment, Charles Thompson of the St. Stephens Church District raised concerns about the Sheriff’s Office and the county insurer VACORP regarding a recent automobile accident involving a deputy and his wife. Thompson said VACORP had informed him the county is not responsible because the deputy was performing duties at the time, and he reported difficulty obtaining incident reports and dash- and body-camera footage. County Administrator Vivian Seay told the Board she had additional information on the matter that would require closed session to discuss.
Both the petition and the appreciation resolution were approved unanimously; no formal motion to call a special election was made following the petition.
