I am the Henry County Administrator, and I am speaking on behalf of the Henry County Board of Supervisors. Henry County is in favor of SB 85. We feel the citizens of Martinsville deserve the right to vote on their future. A decision as monumental as whether to revert to a town has generational impact; at the least, the residents should be given the opportunity to make their voices known.

SB85 simply allows Martinsville city residents the opportunity to be the final deciders of whether or not they want to PERMANENTLY give up their city status by allowing them the right to vote on the question in a referendum. State statutes allow residents the right to vote on 17 other changes in their form of government, but only the City of Clifton Forge, with a population between 5,000 to 5,900 was allowed under 1989 Acts of the Assembly Chapter 688 to vote on the question of reversion in 2000. The citizens of Martinsville simply want the right to determine their future government. Martinsville City Council members have never asked the citizens if they want to be a town. A majority of Council members have TOLD us that this is what THEY have decided. SB85 is the Senate companion bill to Delegate Marshalll’s HB173 this subcommittee reported last month. H173 passed the House 80-20 on February 4th. It was conformed to SB85 this week in the Senate and passed the Senate 29-11 today (2-23-22). Please vote AYE on SB85.