Members of Staunton City Council agree that a bill that passed a House of Delegates committee this morning does not reflect an appropriate path forward for resolving the issue of the location of Augusta County court facilities.
“We’re just really disappointed in this result,” said Mayor Andrea Oakes. “The community spoke and their wishes are being disregarded.”
House Bill 902, which passed through the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns, would allow citizens of Augusta County to conduct another vote in 2022 on moving its court facilities out of Staunton, reversing a referendum that failed by a 2-to-1 margin in 2016. Current state law would not permit another referendum until 2026.
“I feel like some of our state legislators haven’t represented us well in this,” remarked Councilor Amy Darby. “And I think we’re united in feeling that way.”
“This issue has been going on for years,” stated Councilor Brenda Mead. “We have been and remain committed to working this out with our colleagues at Augusta County.”
The bill will now progress to the full House of Delegates.
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Chris Graham
