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Botetourt County board adopts early‑voting and Virginia Military Institute resolutions, approves hazard mitigation plan and large payments
Summary
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors adopted an early‑voting resolution declining to establish satellite voting locations for a contested state constitutional referendum, passed a resolution supporting the Virginia Military Institute, adopted an updated hazard mitigation plan to retain FEMA grant eligibility, and approved two large accounts‑payable disbursements tied to the county's public‑safety projects.
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 24 adopted several resolutions and approved sizable payments as part of its regular meeting.
The board unanimously approved a resolution concerning early voting for a special constitutional amendment referendum scheduled for April 21, 2026. The resolution notes recent circuit‑court rulings and Supreme Court activity that, the board said, raise “serious questions” about the referendum’s lawfulness and therefore declines to schedule or establish satellite absentee voting locations for the referendum, instead directing the county administrator and county attorney to forward the resolution to state election officials and requesting reimbursement from the General Assembly for any referendum costs.
Why it matters: Board members said the action is intended to protect the electoral board and registrar from being placed in an impossible position if the referendum or parts of it are later determined to be unlawful. The resolution cites House Bill 1384 (2026) and multiple Code of Virginia sections as background for the board’s position.
In separate action, the board adopted a resolution expressing the county’s support for the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), describing the institution as a regional educational and leadership asset. Chair Dr. Scott Horn said he was proud the board took a formal position recognizing VMI’s role in producing military and civic leaders.
The board also adopted the county’s updated hazard mitigation plan after a presentation by Daniel Murray, the county’s emergency manager, and Matt Lewis from community development. The plan, developed regionally and approved by FEMA, ranks flood risk highest for the county and identifies mitigation projects such as maintaining stream gauges, adding precipitation gauges and acquiring a portable shelter generator. Staff said adoption is required to preserve eligibility for federal and state mitigation grants.
In financial business, the board approved two accounts‑payable items exceeding $250,000 that were presented by the treasurer’s office: payment to Motorola Solutions for the public‑safety radio infrastructure project and payment to a contractor for work on the Reed Mountain Fire dispatch center. The payments were presented as previously contracted obligations submitted now for processing.
What’s next: The board set follow‑up and implementation steps for the hazard plan projects and asked staff to forward the early‑voting resolution to state election authorities. The finance office will process the approved payments.
Attribution: County staff presented all three items; the early‑voting resolution was read by a staff member identified in the meeting packet and adopted after board motion and roll call. Direct quotes in this article are from the resolutions and staff presentations read at the podium.
