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PLANNING Commission Chairman Herbert Barksdale appeared at last Thursday’s meeting of the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors to request that the Supervisors appoint a Planner from Hampton District. “There’s been no representative from Hampton District on the Planning Commission for three to four years,” said Barksdale and asked that Newbill Miller be named. The suggestion met with far from unanimous support.
“I have no doubt about his qualifications,” said Supervisor J. R. Latham but added that he felt appointing a real estate broker to serve on the county Planning Commission could result in conflict of interest questions being raised. Supervisor Chairman Pete Luke nodded his head in agreement.
“I disagree,” countered Commonwealth’s Attorney George Davis. Refusal to appoint Miller because of his real estate interests would be discrimination against a specific business, Davis claimed.
Barksdale maintained that Miller’s integrity would prevent his ever acting to serve his own interests at the expense of the county. In addition, he said that “there are enough members on the Board to keep any one member from taking the bit and running off with it.”
Supervisor Clarence Baldwin formally nominated Miller, who is a former County Supervisor. “I believe he’s too big a man to profit from a loss to Rappahannock County.
There was no immediate second to the nomination.
Having a real estate broker on the Planning Commission could create a bad image for the county, contended Luke. “Look at the way it’s cropped up in Fauquier,” he said, in apparent reference to conflict of interest charges leveled recently against Fauquier Planning Commission Chairman Phil Nelson because of his development oriented interests.
“THERE’S no legal reason why Newbill can’t be appointed,” insisted Davis. “I can’t conceive of it doing anything more than upgrading the image of the Planning Commission.
“I also object to these names popping up on the spur of the moment to be voted on,” added Latham.
Supervisor Butch Easthamagre
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