MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The city of Martinsville is taking the reversion fight to the Virginia Supreme Court.
This comes after Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a bill allowing voters to decide if they want to become part of Henry County.
City leaders say they feel singled out by the new law and are questioning if it’s constitutional. No other city in the Commonwealth has a referendum requirement.
“I think we owe it to our citizens to know whether or not what was done is legal or not,” Martinsville Mayor Kathy Lawson says. “We followed the process, we followed the letter of the law and we exceeded the requirements that are in the constitution.”
For three years now, Martinsville and Henry County worked to reach an agreement to revert the city of Martinsville back to a town.
The new law now puts the city’s fate into voter’s hands.
“The Commonwealth enacted legislation barring the city of Martinsville from growing its boundaries,” City Council Member Danny Turner says. “I think we need to stand for what’s right. We have done everything that is required only to have this political trick played on us.”
Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 85 after the city and county started the reversion process. City leaders argue it’s unconstitutional for rules to change in the middle of a lawsuit.
However, not everyone is on board.
“I’m somewhat distraught about this. We’ve already spent over $800,000 for our reversion attorneys and now we’re hiring one in addition,” City Council Member Tammy Pearson says. “I truly do not understand why our city council would fight against its own citizens’ right to vote for or against reversion. These are the people we’re representing and I do believe we should give them a voice.”
Council members say it’s not about that. Adding they’ve had 70 meetings since 2009 to hear from people in the city.
Martinsville is at the end of the road. Leaders say without the reversion, people living in Martinsville will see higher taxes and fewer services.
“This is not about not hearing the citizens,” City Council Member Chad Martin days. “This about making sure that a larger government is not picking on a local city.”
A court hearing about the reversion was held Thursday afternoon in Henry County. The city attorney says both the city and county originally signed an agreement about the reversion in 2020.
The county is looking to back out. This will now be looked over by the Supreme Court.