When Covington Leaves, It’ll be a While Before Brentsville Has a Say in Local Government Again

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — When Wally Covington steps down, don’t expect Brentsville to have a voice any time soon.

Covington, who serves on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, was confirmed today for a new position as a Prince William General District Court Judge, according to the woman who is running to replace him.

Here’s a statement received by Potomac Local from candidate Jeanine Lawson:

Today, Brentsville Supervisor, Wally Covington, was confirmed as a Prince William County General District Court Judge by the Virginia General Assembly. Per Virginia law, Supervisor Covington will have to resign his position on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.  On Wednesday, October 1 at Patriot High School starting at 7:00 p.m. the Republicans will hold a nominating meeting to choose their candidate who will run in a special election to fill the Brentsville District seat.

Covington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The job as judge was a position the county supervisor said he was seeking, and there were several comments made by his fellow Board of Supervisors members during public meetings about Covington taking the bench – a job he cannot hold while serving as supervisor.

Covington was awaiting action from Virginia’s General Assembly, which met today in a special session to approve a new budget that essentially clears the way for his ascension to the bench.

When he steps down, that will leave a vacancy on the Board. A special election will need to be scheduled no sooner than 45 days, but no longer than 60 days after his resignation.

And that means it could be at December or January before Brenstville has a supervisor again. That’s because of a law unique to Prince William.

“The law only applies to Prince William Supervisors. We call it the Michelle McQuigg law,” said Prince William County Electoral Board Chairman Keith Scarborough. “When Michelle was elected [to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1998], there was a vacancy on the Board of Supervisors, and she wanted a particular person to be appointed, so Michelle went to Richmond and wrote a law that only applies to Prince William Supervisors that states when there’s a vacancy, you can’t appoint an interim person.”

This differs from the county’s elected School Board that in recent years has appointed two interim candidates, in the Occoquan and Woodbridge magisterial districts, only to have them unseated in a later special election.

Scarbarough says he’s working to change the law authored by McQuigg, who now is the county’s elected Clerk of the Court after being elected to the position in 2008, and hopes to have action in the coming General Assembly session in January.

Lawson is a Republican who also faces Realtor Scott Jacobs, who is also seeking the seat. Lawson concluded her press release with this statement:

“I’d like to congratulate Supervisor Covington on his judicial appointment.  I look forward to having the opportunity to represent the residents of the Brentsville District and my campaign is in position to run a strong race in the upcoming election. I will continue to share my plans for balanced growth, responsible spending, and quality of life issues with the voters of the Brentsville District.”