See next Wednesday’s edition of the Smyth County News & Messenger for an in-depth look at Friday’s proceeding.
By DAN KEGLEY/Staff
At last, after years of negotiations, Smyth County and the Virginia judiciary officially have an agreed-upon plan for the county’s courthouse renovation and expansion. On Friday, a judge’s order sealed the agreement and set the plan in motion.
Judge Robert P. Doherty Jr., judge designate in Commonwealth of Virginia v. Smyth County Board of Supervisors, ordered the county to put in motion its plan to, in the order’s words, “remedy the violation of Va. Code 15.2-1643…” that in other words also found in the order, means “repairing, renovating and expanding the Court Facilities.”
The cited code section is the part of Virginia law that says in effect, “When it appears to the circuit court for any county or city… are insecure, out of repair, or otherwise pose a danger to the health, welfare and safety of court employees or the public…”, the state can order remedy be made by the locality.
Since the issuance of a 2006 court decree, the county has stood in violation of that section.
In a 14-minute hearing in circuit court, five of the county’s seven supervisors heard Doherty issue the order for “expanded and new facilities” at the courthouse, efforts toward which are to begin “immediately after the entry of the Order.”
The order provides a timeline for the work up to completion “no later than 50 months from the date of this Order.”
dkegley@wythenews.com
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