In 2016, several petitions gathered across the state in hopes of removing locally elected officials. One of these petitions called for the removal of the Prince William County School Board chairman. Another gathering in Bath County was formed to remove three individuals from the Board of Supervisors for misuse of office following the elimination of a county position. In an extremely heated case in Montgomery County, a petition was created in hopes of recalling Clerk of Courts Erica Williams.
Bath County supervisors Claire Collins, Richard Byrd and Stuart Hall were under fire by Bath County residents for the removal of the county's director of tourism position. The legal precedent came from the allegation that the vote was held behind closed doors, which is illegal in Virginia. Petitioners also claimed the decision to remove the position from the county was due to a disposition four voting supervisors had towards Anderson and her husband. Following the formation of the petition, one of the supervisors who voted for the decision resigned and, although the 10 percent of the registered voters to sign the petition was reached, the judge ultimately threw out the case.
Following her election for Clerk of Courts in Montgomery County, Erica Williams dismissed four of employees in the Clerk’s office and a fifth was pushed to resign. Locals were in shock upon Williams’ decision for dismissing these employees just months after she gave these individuals near flawless reviews. The coming months saw a resounding response by Montgomery County residents to have Williams removed from office for jeopardizing the integrity of the department. The four employees released had a combined 64 years of experience, one of which had been with the clerk’s office for more than 32 years and was only months from retirement. The current recall laws in Virginia state that officials can be removed for “neglect, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties that has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office.” The dismissal of four employees with an excess of six decades of experience clearly tells the story of “incompetence in the performance of duties.” Despite deterrence tactics from Williams, who stated in un-American fashion that individuals who signed it could be prosecuted for perjury, the petition reached the required 10 percent before being dismissed by a judge.
The Prince William petition saw the most significant result when delegate Rich Anderson introduced HB 1733, which would allow for the dismissal of an official with 20 percent of registered voters’ signature. This bill would ultimately make a currently impossible process for Virginians a feasible reality.
Although all three of these efforts failed, HB 1733 is the beacon of hope for future individuals who seek justice in their communities. In a rapidly changing political landscape nationwide this bill offers bipartisan legislation which will not only promote unity among our congressmen and women, but will also help bolster a truly democratic process in which individual Virginians have more power. This is essential legislation and should be supported by all individuals who wish to hold their local officials to a high legal and moral standard.
Ethan Crockett is a member of the Social Media section for The Cavalier Daily. He may be reached at emc9yj@virginia.edu.
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