New members named to planning group

By Justin Faulconer

Published: September 17, 2008

The Amherst County Board of Supervisors recently filled two vacant seats on the county’s Planning Commission.

Five people applied for the four-year terms vacated last month by Bonnie Limbrick and James Fulcher.

After interviewing four of the five candidates earlier this month, supervisors appointed Les Irvin and Claudia Tucker to the posts.

“We had five very strong candidates,” County Administrator Rodney Taylor said. “The board felt the two would be a good fit.”

Irvin of Madison Heights served on the Amherst County School Board from 1988-96. He said he applied for a commission seat because he is interested in the county’s growth and development.

“I lived in Amherst County all my life,” said Irvin, 61. “I just think it’s a great place.”

Tucker formerly lobbied on the county’s behalf before the Virginia General Assembly and was chief of staff to former House of Delegates Speaker Vance Wilkins, a Republican.

In 2002, she was placed on paid administrative leave after reports surfaced that her cell phone number appeared on a list of phone numbers that were involved in one of two private Democratic conference calls.

In 2003, she pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unauthorized publication of a wire communication for listening in on the call and later sharing the information with a Republican lawmaker.

Following a $1,000 fine, Tucker told The News & Advance she regretted involvement in the incident and wanted to move on.

Wilkins resigned in a separate incident after admitting that he paid an Amherst woman $100,000 to settle a claim that he sexually harassed her.

Supervisors’ chairman Vernon Wood declined to go into detail about the interviewing process with Tucker since it was done in a closed session, he said. But he said he thought she was qualified and well suited for the job.

“She has a good knowledge of the county,” Wood said.

Wood said in the past that the board didn’t have a choice in making appointments because of a lack of public interest, but that this time the decision was made based on the experience with the two candidates chosen.

“Some of the positions they’ve been in before I thought would lend itself well to working with the board,” Wood said.

The commission currently joins the supervisors in public hearings during its review of zoning and permit applications. The seven-member board of commissioners offers a recommendation to the five supervisors before their final vote.