This story was reported and written by WHRO media partner Williamsburg Watch.
More than a dozen people, including the former CEO of Smithfield Foods, turned out Tuesday night to ask James City County supervisors to postpone further work on the proposed county office complex until after the November elections. But the supervisors voted 4-1 to award a $16.5 million contract to begin site work at the location.
Stonehouse supervisor Barbara Null voted against the move, saying she had not heard from a single constituent who was in favor of the $190 million center, plus a library annex.
The crux of protests from more than a dozen residents who spoke was that they had just learned about the center, and some of them charged the county with keeping it a secret. The opponents said they had more than 900 signatures on a petition opposing the center.
Assistant County Administrator Brad Rinehimer told the supervisors the center has been discussed at 25 different public meetings in the past four years, has been mentioned in 38 different news reports, and was in a flyer that went out with 70,000 tax bills in 2024.
Chairman Jim Icenhour and Vice Chair John J. McGlennon said most of the constituents they spoke with did not object to the county center.
“Nothing about this was done in the shadows,” said Berkeley District member Ruth Larson. She said there was no reason to wait until an election because new supervisors can always decide to change course.
“From everybody I’ve talked to, nobody” is in favor of the complex, Null said. She said voter apathy was responsible for the last-minute surge in opposition.
“They don’t read the newspaper. They don’t watch the news. And they come out of the woodwork to us at the last minute, which is really disconcerting” she said.
Among the speakers who said they had just recently found out about the project was Larry Pope, the 70-year-old retired CEO of Smithfield Foods.
“Waiting is certainly something you ought to seriously consider,” he said. “We’re moving to a digital environment where people don’t come into facilities anymore.”
During her comments, Null again discussed waiting to make a decision. She said she wanted to make a motion but was told by Chair Jim Icenhour she would have to wait until the other supervisors had commented.
When they finished, Powhatan Representative Michael J. Hipple quickly made a motion to approve the government center. Null objected, reminding her colleagues she had said she wanted to make a motion first, but she was turned down.
She was the only supervisor to vote against the site work.