Commission on Local Government to look at Bedford reversion agreement

    Bedford’s reversion to town status still has a long road to travel.
    Ever since the Bedford County Board of Supervisors and Bedford City Council voted, in September, to approve a reversion agreement between the city and county, city and county staff have been assembling a packet of information to send to the Virginia Commission on Local Government.  According to Bedford City Manager Charles Kolakowski this commission looks at all agreements between local governments in the Commonwealth.
    According Kolakowski, the information the Commission has asked for includes population and school population estimates. The Commission also wants zoning criteria, financial reports and information on what public services the two local governments provide.
    “The county is putting some of it together, we are putting some of it together,” said Kolakowski.
    City and county staff are still in the process of putting this packet of information together. Kolakowski said that the Commission is asking for a lot of detail, and the two local governments’ staffs still have a county and city to run.
    Kolakowski said that sending this information to the state is part of the next step in the reversion process. Once Commission on Local Government has this information, it will review it. As part of this review process, it will conduct public hearings.
    Like a local planning commission, the Commission on Local Government can only make recommendations. It will pass it’s recommendation to a three-judge panel appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court. These judges have the final say.
    Kolakowski said that the Commission could also suggest changes in the agreement to the city and county.