It began with a simple question posed to staff at each of Hampton Roads’ constituent cities: What information did residents here request from their local government under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and were they granted the documents they sought? That reporters from The Virginian-Pilot received wildly different responses to that question — ranging from a full record of those requests to a bill for nearly $40,000 for fulfilling our reporter’s inquiry — speaks to how interpretation of the law can affect access to public information and highlights the need to rein in excessive fees in order to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to a better understanding of government.

Three weeks after hiring Shane McCrum as the first-ever Clerk to the Board, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors has also appointed him as acting county administrator.

A dispute between a Warren County supervisor and the interim county administrator over spending on legal services came to a head Tuesday. … Interim County Administrator J. David Martin said at the March 24 work session that Supervisor Richard A. Jamieson incurred more than $82,000 in legal fees over the past couple of years. Jamieson, along with former supervisors Vicky L. Cook, Jerome K. “Jay” Butler, led an effort to stop giving local money to Samuels Public Library, Warren County’s only library. A legal battle, after the library sued the county, also ended up in court. At the board meeting on Tuesday, Martin apologized to Jamieson for incorrectly announcing legal fees attributed to the supervisor. … “Madam Chairman, I’d like to request a closed session at the end of today’s meeting, for personnel, to review the memorandum understanding of employment for the interim county administrator,” Martin said. … Jamieson made an announcement after the supervisors reconvened in open session. “I would like to apologize to Dr. Martin for evaluating his performance in public without offering him the opportunity to respond in a private setting,” Jamieson said, reading from a written statement. “This was an oversight on my part for which I do make a sincere apology to Dr. Martin.”

“This board has managed to make a real mess in three months.” Former Gloucester County Board of Supervisors Ware District representative Michael Hedrick, who held his seat from 2019 to 2023, criticized the board’s 4-3 decision to terminate the contract of County Administrator Carol Steele last week. He was joined by several others during Tuesday night’s meeting, held in the colonial courthouse. … Pam Garner called on the board to start rebuilding public trust by explaining how the decision to terminate was made. “Gloucester residents expect and deserve a board that operates with integrity, consistency and respect for established procedures.”