Culpeper County supervisors haggled over any number of somewhat trivial matters yesterday, but were tight-lipped when approving two immigration-related matters.
Without a single comment, the board unanimously approved a resolution declaring English to be the county's official language. Moments later, they resolved, again without discussion or dissent, to join other counties in seeking the General Assembly's help in grappling with problems caused by undocumented immigrants.
While the town of Culpeper has been in the thick of the immigration debate for almost a year, yesterday's action was the first taken by the Board of Supervisors on the controversial issue.
"It has been discussed in rules for several months," County Administrator Frank Bossio said after yesterday's meeting. "I think this is part of a discovery motion to see what the cost of all [the services rendered] are to our constituents."
Bossio said letters and a copy of the resolutions would be sent to a list of people and jurisdictions supplied, in part, by Culpeper Town Councilman Steve Jenkins, who has been pushing the town to deal with undocumented residents.
Both Loudoun and Prince William counties have passed similar resolutions in the past several months.
As for English being formally declared the county's official language, Bossio said this was not an attempt to slight anyone, but rather a statement to inform everyone that Culpeper would not be responsible for providing translations of any sort.
Bossio said he did not yet know how or where the "official language" resolution would be posted, but said it would likely be printed in area newspapers.
More than a dozen people--including Jenkins--showed up last night at the Board's planning business session to urge the supervisors to take action against illegal aliens.
Those who spoke during a public forum asked the supervisors to do something before it was too late.
In other business yesterday afternoon, the board:
Approved an architectural plan to renovate the Wachovia building on Main Street into offices for the county treasurer and commissioner of revenue. The registrar's office would be upstairs and the assessor's offices in the basement.
Voted unanimously to advertise for a public hearing on the possibility of developing an ordinance on the purchase of development rights.
Heard that, because of the continued influx of vehicles into the county, car-tax relief for fiscal 2008 will drop from 38 percent to 36 percent.
Donnie Johnston: