A request for the Marion Town Council to take stands on gun rights and redistricting has brought the long-held apolitical nature of council actions to the forefront.
Typically, in Virginia and even nationwide, town council members do not run with a political party label but focus instead on local issues. The governing bodies are tasked with overseeing the delivery of local services.
Addressing the council on March 16, Marion resident Robbie Colley asked the body to consider adopting a resolution opposing the current Virginia plan for temporary redistricting that he described as “blatant gerrymandering”.
Colley said that April 21, the day of the special election on the redistricting amendment, will “likely go down as a watermark”.
Additionally, he asked the council to follow Sheriff Chip Shuler’s lead and instruct the Marion Police Department in their support of the Second Amendment and affirm cooperation with federal immigration agents.
“All politics is local,” argued Colley, quoting the long-used adage.
The council referred the matters to its Ordinance Committee, which met on Monday. The two committee members, however, seemed to have forgotten the referral and were reluctant to address it after they talked about another proposal to allow councilmembers to join meetings electronically.
However, several citizens were present who came specifically for discussion on the requests and pushed the committee, made of up of councilmen Larry Carter and Todd May, to address the topics.
Colley was among those citizens and argued for their consideration. He presented the committee with a draft resolution opposing the Constitutional Amendment on redistricting. It noted, in part, “The people of Marion and Smyth County value competitive, compact, and community-based districts that reflect the diverse political makeup of Southwest Virginia and the entire Commonwealth, not maps drawn to favor one party….”
Carter contended throughout the debate, “I believe in this body being apolitical.”
He also argued that a resolution from the Marion council would not “raise the ocean’s elevation,” contending that it would not impact the Democratic Governor and Democratic-controlled legislature.
Such local governing body resolutions serve merely as statements on issues. They carry no legal weight.
Councilmember Susie Jennings, who was in the audience, said she’s been on the council 20 years and “We’ve never been a political body.” Rather, she said the council cares for essential services for citizens such as roads, police, fire, EMS, economic development, water and sewer.
Mayor Avery Cornett, who also attended the meeting, said the council is elected at large, representing all citizens. While he said the council strives to keep politics out of matters, he also said, “Politics is part of everything.”
Ultimately, the committee recommended the council consider the resolutions, though Carter said he didn’t like setting a precedent. He argued that if councilmembers wanted the community to know their positions on these matters, they could write letters to the editor.
Several citizens wanted to speak during their session. Initially, Carter denied one citizen the opportunity to speak, while others later addressed the committee informally and debated with the committee.
With Town Attorney Mark Fenyk saying that council committees do not have to provide time for citizen comments, Carter said that in the future for the Ordinance Committee, the meeting format would only allow staff presentations.
Regarding electronic meeting participation, the committee voted to recommend the council have Fenyk draft an ordinance and schedule a public hearing on it.
The next Marion Town Council meeting will take place on Monday, April 6.
