The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors has agreed to rotate the position of board chair and vice chair on an annual basis based on seniority.

The amendment to the bylaws resulted in Farmville District 101 Supervisor Howard Simpson — the most senior member on the board — being named chair, and Lockett District 201 Supervisor Robert M. “Bobby” Jones become vice chair as the second-most senior member.

The change — opposed by District 801 Supervisor Pattie Cooper-Jones and District 701 Supervisor Jim Wilck — came after the board defeated a motion to rotate the chairmanship based on district numbers, beginning with District 101, and a second failed motion to begin the rotation with District 201.

According to the change, proposed by Buffalo District 501 Supervisor C.R. “Bob” Timmons, the next most senior member, who would serve as vice chair, would become the chair the following year.

The change to the board’s bylaws took a two-thirds majority vote, or six of eight supervisors voting in favor.

“I want to thank everybody for their vote and support and I appreciate it,” Simpson said. “I will do my best for the county over the next 12 months.”

Timmons said the concept behind his idea was to limit the position of chair to a one-year term and to “eliminate any disunity the board has or perception the board has, currently or in the future.”

Two years ago, after deadlocking 4-4 on election of chair between Simpson and Cooper-Jones, the board defaulted to a coin toss, which determined that Simpson would serve as chair and Cooper-Jones as vice chair for the following two years.

After Simpson and Jones, Cooper-Jones is the next most senior member, then Wilck.

 

According to the change, if there’s two or more members with the same amount of seniority, the board would defer to the lower district number.

“Upon completion of serving a term as chairman, that district board member would move to the end of the rotation list,” Timmons said, reading his proposal. “A board member shall have a minimum of one year of service on the board prior to election as vice chair, and two years of service prior to the election as chairman … Should a member of the board decline to seek the nomination as chairman or vice chairman, that district board member would move to the end of the rotation list of seniority and the rotation would proceed to the next [district].”

“I’d rather see it done by seniority,” Wilck said after Timmons first posed the rotation solely by district number.

“I think Mr. Simpson has had two years. I don’t see why he should be the chair again,” Cooper-Jones said. “If we’re going by district numbers, I suggest that we go to Bobby Jones and Mr. Simpson move to the bottom of the list. He’s been on the board longer than anybody else, but he just came off of two years and I think it’s only fair that someone else gets to serve as the chair. …”

Cooper-Jones said she was the only Virginia Association of Counties-certified supervisor on the board. “And I think that says that I made some kind of commitment to be on this board of supervisors, and I don’t think that it’s fair and overlooked and that we’re just going to use seniority … which means that Howard Simpson is going to be it regardless.”

After the two motions failed, Wilck nominated Cooper-Jones as chair, which was never voted on.

“You said you don’t want somebody camped out for chair, and I think that that’s exactly what you’re getting by your motion,” Wilck said to Timmons of his motion to rotate the chairmanship based on seniority.

Jones said he appreciated Timmons proposing the new rules for the position of chair and vice chair. “Hopefully we’ve gotten the situation resolved now where we won’t have to go through anymore coin tosses.”

“I truly enjoy the things that I do on this board, regardless of what seat I hold … I’m going to do my best to do what’s right for the taxpayers of Prince Edward County,” Cooper-Jones said.