Free Republic

This is Part I of a three-part series about the past, on property rights in Virginia, centering around the Boneta Bill and abuses by localities of their zoning powers. A Gradation of Authorities Virginia counties and localities are political subdivisions of the state subject to the Dillon Rule, meaning their powers are derived from the state legislature. Article VII of the Virginia Constitution reads: “The General Assembly may provide by general law or special act that any county, city, town, or other unit of government may exercise any of its powers or perform any of its functions . . ....

Conservative critics of government are “freaks,” are “in for a pretty rough ride,” and “will need their Kevlar,” i.e., bullet-proof vests. These statements didn’t come from the Obama administration or some radical leftwing organization. They are Facebook posts of a Republican elected official in Virginia’s Fauquier County. Fauquier drew national attention in 2012 for charging farmer Martha Boneta with violating the law by having a birthday party for eight little girls without a permit and zoning site plan. The highly charged posts of county supervisor Holder Trumbo came shortly after two recent events, and are emblematic of the civil war...