Written by: Sam Orlando
Stuarts Draft, VA - The Augusta County Board of Supervisors recently appointed Carolyn Bragg to fill the South River District seat left vacant after Steve Morelli was forced to resign. Bragg, the former chair of the Augusta County Planning Commission, has already drawn attention for her voting record and apparent opposition to transparency measures.
In the April 26 Augusta County Board of Supervisors meeting, Bragg voted against funding body cameras for the county's law enforcement officers without offering any comment as to her opposition. Later in the same meeting, she vehemently opposed Supervisor Seaton's motion to live-stream the County's planning commission meetings. Bragg's opposition to both the use of body cameras for police and the live streaming of planning commission meetings suggests that she may have a pattern of opposing transparency efforts during her short tenure on the board.
Bragg was appointed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, and County administrator Timothy Fitzgerald cited Bragg's prior service as a Supervisor, and her tenure as Chair of the Planning Commission, as reasons for her unanimous approval by the Board.
Bragg will serve the remainder of Morelli's term until the end of December, with an election scheduled for November to determine the South River District's next representative. No other candidates have announced their intention to run for the position, but potential contenders have until June 20, 2023, to file paperwork for their candidacy. As Bragg is just beginning her new term on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, her stance on transparency and recent voting record will likely continue to draw scrutiny from the public. With an election looming, it remains to be seen whether her views on these critical issues will impact her chances of retaining the South River District seat.
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