BOS Member Under Fire, Discloses Subject Of Recent (Improperly Held) Closed Session.

Jim McMillian, Board of Supervisors member in the Collinsville District of Henry County, has come under fire from Chamber of Commerce President Kim Adkins and BOS Chairman H.G. Vaughn for revealing the subject of a recent closed meeting held by the BOS.

Ms. Adkins recently sent a letter to Henry County BOS Chairman H.G. Vaughn, County Administrator Benny Summerlin, Martinsville Mayor Kimble Reynolds Jr., and City Manager Dan Collins inviting them all to an informal meeting to discuss the possibility of the City reverting to town status. It's not clear in news reports I've seen whether the invitation was intended for these four officials only, or if it extended to the entire BOS and City Council.

Shortly after recieving the letter from Ms. Adkins, Benny Summerlin suggested to Vaughn that it should be discussed by the Board of Supervisors in a closed meeting. Subsequently, Mr. McMillian disclosed the subject of that closed meeting during the course of a local cable access television show interview.

McMillian can be something of a "loose cannon", as evidenced by his recent demand for the resignation of Mr. Summerlin and his assistant Tim Hall in an unrelated incident. But, before Mr. Vaughn and Ms. Adkins go too far in their criticism of McMillian they need to stop and realize that the closed meeting he discussed was in fact an illegal meeting. There are many legitimate reasons for holding a closed meeting, but discussing an invitation from the local Chamber of Commerce to attend another closed meeting with the neighboring City Council is not one of them. Also, if the circumstances surrounding the meeting being planned by Ms. Adkins are not handled correctly it too could be in violation of Virginia's Open Meeting law.