Pittsylvania County's Hank Davis looks to bring unity to board

CHATHAM — The congratulatory calls poured into Hank Davis’ law office Tuesday afternoon.

Davis, a 10-year supervisor who represents the Chatham-Blairs district and has headed several committees for the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, won the board’s chairmanship by a 4-3 vote during supervisors’ reorganization meeting Monday night.

The vote, once again, fell along north-south lines, except this time, Banister Supervisor William Pritchett swung the margin in favor of the northern end. Tunstall Supervisor Tim Barber retained his position as vice chairman.

The decision ended Westover District Supervisor Coy Harville’s three-year run as chairman. Harville had served as chairman seven times since 1999.

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors’ new chairman downplayed the board’s north-south split during an interview Tuesday.

“I just don’t see that (north-south) as an appropriate dividing point for the board,” Davis said.

Davis, a Chatham real estate attorney, holds a bachelors degree in business administration from The College of William and Mary and earned his law degree from Stetson University in Florida.

The chairman’s duties include presiding over and maintaining order of the board of supervisors meetings, signing warrants on the payment of county bills, working with the county administrator to form meeting agendas, and to represent the county at state and local events.

The difference among supervisors, Davis said, is “philosophical, more than anything” and has nothing to do with a north-south conflict. Davis said he has always tried to act in the interests of Pittsylvania County as a whole, instead of favoring one district or section.

The most pressing issues Davis expects to tackle as chairman include state funding cuts that will impact the county’s budget, emergency-transport billing and the fate of the old Chatham Elementary School building. The General Assembly’s refusal to raise taxes burdens the county, forcing Pittsylvania to shoulder a greater financial share of keeping constitutional offices and other departments running, Davis said.

As for the former school, Davis would like to give it to a nonprofit, charitable organization — if the county can’t sell it — to tidy it up and put it to public use. The space could be used for local arts or for college classrooms for Danville Community College or another school. A portion could be rented out to the county or the town of Chatham, Davis said. But the county must make sure its use is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, he said.

On Sept 8, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to rescind its May decision to give the old Chatham Elementary School building to the town of Chatham. The decision came after the town failed to decide what to do with the old school.

Davis would like to see a large-scale industry come to Berry Hill Road industrial megapark and provide thousands of jobs.

If nothing else, Davis would like to “bring some unity to the board, to break the deadlock of 4-3, 4-3, 4-3,” he said. When Pritchett spoke just before voting for chairman Monday night, he praised Harville’s efforts and unexpectedly voted for Davis. Davis recalled the moments leading up to Pritchett’s decision.

“I turned to (Staunton River Supervisor Marshall) Ecker and I said, ‘He’s going to vote for Coy,’” Davis said. “(Those were) the last words out of my mouth.”

Pritchett said after the meeting he voted for Davis because “I felt like he would make a good chairman. I want to bring unity to the board.”

Davis had lost past votes for chairman. Harville, after Monday’s decision, said the results will give him a chance to “take it easy for a while.”

Dan River Supervisor James Snead, who had nominated Harville, said he hopes Davis will make a great chairman.

“He’s been elected and I’ll stand behind him,” Snead said.

Ecker, who voted for Davis, praised the route the board took.

“I’m excited that there will be a new direction in the county and new leadership,” Ecker said, adding that Davis will represent both ends of the county fairly.