JAMES CITY — Despite continued public opposition to James City County’s proposed government center, supervisors moved forward with the project on Tuesday, agreeing to begin preparing the site.
Supervisors voted 4 to 1, with Supervisor Barbara Null in opposition, to award a $16.5 million contract that would allow site preparation at 5231 Longhill Road, adjacent to the county’s parks and recreation building. The contract is part of the $189.5 million price tag of the new government center, which includes a $25 million library annex.
Site preparations will include clearing, grading and basic stormwater work, said Assistant County Administrator Brad Rinehimer.
The supervisors’ meeting, however, saw 15 community members speak in opposition to the center. Chris Henderson said moving forward with site work is “a slap in the face” to citizens who oppose the project. He called for the board to defer the decision until its November meeting. That would fall after the general election, during which two supervisors’ seats will be decided.
“The financial implications of this project are dire for James City County and will result in rising tax burdens on our existing residents and unnecessary forced growth,” Henderson said. “James City County needs teachers and police a lot more than we need new offices.”
Kim Griffith, president and owner of Kimberly Builders, said she feels the center has “a lot of extras” and that it’s beyond what the county can afford. She asked supervisors to take a step back and look at what the public wants.
“I care about this county,” Griffith said. “And I know that we have a lot of people moving here to get away from the up-north taxes, and it’s like we’re becoming that.”
Larry Pope, a county resident and former CEO of Smithfield Foods, said he was shocked to hear about the center. He said supervisors should consider waiting on the center while noting that many work environments are heading toward a digital format.
“That’s the future of the world,” Pope said. “We’re doing more in smaller environments. You can do this in a smaller environment.”
A rendering of what the proposed James City County government center could look like with a library addition. Courtesy/James City County
An online petition against the center started by resident Bob Weber had just over 1,000 signatures on Wednesday. The petition claims the relocation of the existing government complex is unnecessary, while officials have said a new center would help consolidate the disparate county offices located on Mounts Bay Road and throughout the county.
Vice Chair John McGlennon said the project will help increase the county government’s efficiency as well as address modern facility needs for serving county residents. It’s best to start new, he said, rather than patch up older “unsatisfactory” facilities.
While not every citizen has followed the project closely, others have recognized the county as being “good stewards” of their resources, McGlennon said. The project has come up repeatedly by supervisors and staff over the past four to five years, county officials have pointed out.
The proposed center has been discussed at 25 public meetings, been mentioned in 38 local news reports and was included in a flyer sent with 70,000 personal property tax bills in 2024, Rinehimer said.
“I know that there are a good portion of people that are opposed to this project because they don’t have the true information,” Rinehimer said. “They’re getting it from sites on the internet that (are) not factual, it’s not vetted. It’s someone’s opinion or someone’s throwing information out there that may or may not be true.”
Null, who at one point during Tuesday’s meeting brought up waiting to make a decision, said she voted in opposition because the citizens she received feedback from opposed it. She said residents have shared concerns over the cost and potential tax increases from the center, although Null said tax increases would not be the case. She noted the county has funds saved up as well as a AAA bond rating, which officials said demonstrates the county’s fiscal responsibility.
“I think in the long run, everything will be nice and everybody will like it,” Null said. “It’s just there’s a lot of misconceptions going on out there.”
Tuesday’s action by the supervisors means the site work can proceed, which Rinehimer said needs to start before winter. If site work was delayed to the spring, it could mean a delay in the project as well as a likely increase in price as construction costs continue to rise, he said.
The project will still require another vote by the supervisors — which will likely be after construction documents are completed around March — to move forward with construction on the center and the library. Until then, residents will still have opportunities to comment, and Rinehimer said the county will continue to reach out and share information on the process.
County Administrator Scott Stevens reiterated that the county wants to be transparent with the project. As site work begins, he encouraged residents to allow the county to share why the government center’s need is real for the next 50 to 100 years.
“I believe still, it is a good project for James City County,” Stevens said. “Yes, it’s expensive, but we have a plan for that, and I feel very comfortable where we’re headed.”
For more information on the project, visit jamescitycountyva.gov/4104/Proposed-County-Government-Center, call Brad Rinehimer at 757-253-6616 or email brad.rinehimer@jamescitycountyva.gov.
James W. Robinson, 757-799-0621, james.robinson@virginiamedia.com
