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For good advice, why doesn't Spotsylvania call on its citizenry?

The Fredericksburg area's population includes experts in many fields, whose counsel could be useful in many local matters.

Date published: 12/2/2002

By LARRY EVANS

BEFORE the government of Spotsylvania County implodes, its elected officials should call on residents for help.

The seriousness of the situation became evident Tuesday night when Supervisor Tricia Lenwell abruptly resigned during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

She told the other six board members she would not be "party to a sham that is being played out in this county."

Lenwell read a prepared statement critical of County Administrator Anthony Barrett, who moments before had survived, 4-3, a vote of no confidence.

"I will not sit idly by and watch information twisted, staff manipulated, the public misinformed because decisions are being made be a select few--some elected, some not--but all outside the public eye," she said.

Perhaps Lenwell will be more specific at 10 a.m. today when she answers questions during a live chat on fredericksburg.com, the Web site associated with this newspaper.

In any case, there is a public perception that Spotsylvania County's government operates in the dark and that residents have no voice when decisions are made.

The Planning Commission--an advisory panel appointed by the Board of Supervisors--certainly gave that impression Nov. 6. After a four-hour public hearing that drew 300 people on both sides of the issue at hand, the commission quickly voted, 5-2, to recommend that the board approve plans for the proposed new Town of Chancellorsville.

Speakers on both sides of the issue had just said they wanted the county government to make no decision until it had thoroughly studied the potential impacts of the proposed development, which would bring almost 2,000 dwellings and up to 2.2 million square feet of office space to the State Route 3 corridor. Part of that development would be on land where Civil War soldiers fought on May 1, 1863.

John Adams was one of the people who stood at the microphone and said the board needed to make an informed, deliberative decision. I mention Adams, an economist, because he exemplifies a resource in this region that local governments too often ignore--residents with expertise to offer.

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Date published: 12/2/2002