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Today, Jan. 3, I watched a dedicated public servant be publicly
dismissed from her job. It was not a pretty sight.
The scene was the courtroom at the Rappahannock County Court House, where the county's Board of Supervisors held its regular monthly meeting. Among many items on the agenda was the issue of an appointment to the county Planning Commission.
The four year term of Susan Babcock, the Hampton District representative on the Planning Commission, was to expire on Jan. 6, so the supervisors had to act to fill that position for the next four years.
It has been routine practice in the county to reappoint Planning Commission members who are willing and able to continue to serve on that body, which advises the Board of Supervisors on land use issues, zoning matters and other vital concerns. Ms. Babcock was willing and ready to be reappointed. But the supervisor from Hampton District, Mr. Bryant Lee, had advertised for other applicants for the job, apparently seeking a replacement.
During the public comment portion of the supervisors’ meeting, several citizens spoke up to urge Ms. Babcock's reappointment. Meredith Gorfein rose to say the county Democratic Committee had passed a resolution urging that Ms. Babcock's service on the Planning Commission be extended. Mrs. Gorfein said she had no idea of what Ms. Babcock's politics might be, but that her service on the commission had been outstanding.
Phil Irwin, one of the leaders of the environmental movement in the county these last 30 years, praised Ms. Babcock's dedication to preserving the county and urged her reappointment. Speaking as president of the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection, I said much the same thing, noting that Susan Babcock always did her homework on issues before the Commission and brought a thoughtful approach and a conservationist's values to the deliberations of that body.
Nobody in the audience spoke against Ms. Babcock's reappointment, and none spoke in favor of any other candidate.
But the views of those present fell upon deaf ears. When it came time to act on the appointment, Mr. Lee perfunctorily
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