Virginia law requires counties to post the minutes, agendas and agenda packets on their websites within seven days, but Sussex County’s site includes no information on meetings before 2025 and is missing minutes from some meetings after that date.
State law § 2.2-3707.2. says, “Posting of minutes for local public bodies. Except as provided in subsection I of § 2.2-3707, any local public body subject to the provisions of this chapter shall post minutes of its meetings on its official public government website, if any, within seven working days of final approval of the minutes.”
However, attempts to access the links on the site for meetings before 2025 yield this message: “Sorry! That page doesn’t seem to exist.”
Checks & Balances Project (C&BP) has asked county supervisors, the county attorney and the commonwealth attorney for comment about the failure to provide transparent information about county government. So far, only Supervisor Thomas Baicy has responded.
“I apologize for any inconvenience incurred,” Baicy told C&BP. “When I joined the board a few years ago I brought the website issues to then county administrator Richard Douglas (recently fired ) that the website is woefully in need of an update /upgrade .
“Any inquiries should be shared with our ACTING CO ADMINISTRATOR.
“Again apologies and I hope the problem gets fixed.”
Steve White, the chair of the Sussex County Board of Supervisors, is the current acting county administrator, a position he holds in apparent violation of state law.
C&BP had to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get the minutes from the Sept. 18, 2025, meeting, which is not even listed on the county website.
Shilton Ricks-Butts, the clerk for the board of supervisors, supplied the minutes.
Minutes that are available from 2025 meetings show concerns about the county’s problems funding emergency medical services and the lack of financial information from some EMS providers, such as the Stony Creek Volunteer Rescue Service, which is run by White.
Ray Locker is the executive director for Checks & Balances Project, an investigative watchdog blog holding government officials, lobbyists, and corporate management accountable to the public. Funding for C&BP is provided by Renew American Prosperity and individual donors.
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