Bedford supervisors unanimously oppose mandatory collective bargaining, approve $5,000 for youth livestock show

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution urging the governor not to sign legislation that would impose mandatory collective bargaining on local governments, County Administrator Robert Hiss told the board.

Hiss presented a model resolution from the Virginia Association of Counties and said the bills on the governor’s desk would erode local decision-making on how localities recognize and compensate employees. “If signed into law, this will most certainly have budget impacts,” Hiss said, arguing that forced bargaining could demand tax adjustments or service reductions.

Board members discussed the authority of localities to opt in to collective bargaining and voiced concern that statewide mandates would represent legislative overreach that could affect budgets. The board adopted the resolution by unanimous roll call (Johnson, Tuck, Bansley, Moore, Scott, Davis, Chair).

Separately, the board approved an added action item: a $5,000 contribution requested by the Bedford County Agriculture Advisory Board to support Bedford County students attending the Central Virginia Livestock Show. Mr. Scott moved to approve the request and Mr. Tuck seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Scott and other supervisors urged the county to challenge neighboring localities that participate in the Central Virginia Livestock Show (Appomattox, Campbell, Amherst and Nelson counties and the City of Lynchburg) to consider similar support to magnify the benefit to youth participants.

The meeting also approved routine consent items (relocation of the Porters Mountain easement for a public safety communications tower and access over a stub road to allow timbering by an adjoining landowner), approved minutes, set a public hearing to advertise the 2026 tax-rate ordinance at current levels for Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and adjourned.