Supervisor to Franklin County: never mind on that resignation
Two weeks after his abrupt resignation from the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, former Boone District representative Mike Meredith said he now plans to remain in office.
"I am writing to formally clarify that I intend to remain in office and complete my elected term as Boone District Supervisor," Meredith wrote in a Monday letter to the board.
Meredith abruptly announced his resignation at an Aug. 18 board meeting. He later explained to The Roanoke Times that his decision came during a closed session meeting earlier that evening with the board when it was suggested he should resign.
Boone District representative Mike Meredith, left, announced his resignation at the Aug. 18 Franklin County Board of Supervisors meeting. The announcement came days after he revealed that Project Flash had ended. Now, he says he never formally resigned, and contends he remains a member of the board and will continue serving.
The discussion of resignation stemmed from Meredith revealing information that may be covered by a nondisclosure agreement between Franklin County and data center developer Crusoe. The two sides were believed to be in negotiations to bring a data center to the county's Summit View Business Park based on documents obtained by county residents through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Meredith announced at an Aug. 16 community meeting that "Project Flash" was not proceeding. The county used the term to refer to an economic development project at Summit View, according to documents obtained via FOIA.
When the board returned from closed-door session at the Aug. 18 meeting, Meredith announced his resignation and left the boardroom. He is now stating that resignation was not officially completed.
"No written resignation was submitted by me. I do not consider my statement at the August 18th, 2026, meeting to constitute a voluntary resignation or to create a lawful vacancy. Pursuant to Virginia Code 24.2-226 and 24.2-228, I am unaware of any motion, resolution or recorded vote taken by the board in open session that accepted my oral statement. I therefore maintain that my oral statement never became legally complete and that no vacancy arose in the Boone District office. I respectfully request that the board cease the vacancy and appointment process and recognize that I intend to continue serving the remainder of my elected term," Meredith said in his letter to the board.
The request comes as the Franklin County Board of Supervisors is already in the process of finding a replacement for the Boone District seat. The board is currently accepting applications to fill the seat. Those applicants were expected to be announced at a special meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Franklin County Government Center.
There have been no statements from the county government or individual board members on Meredith's recent announcement that he plans to remain on the board or any legal ramifications for the county. Gills District representative and Chairperson Lorie Smith declined to comment on the announcement by Meredith.
At a meeting held Aug. 20, supervisors stated they have 45 days to fill the seat vacated by Meredith. There goal at the time was to fill the seat before their regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 15.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
Related
Boone District representative Mike Meredith informs a crowd of more than 200 Franklin County residents Sunday that a proposed data center know…
