Botetourt Preservation Partnership, Inc. (BPP) was named the county’s local Virginia American Revolution 250 committee
Botetourt Preservation Partnership, Inc. (BPP) was named the county’s local Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) committee during the September 26, 2023 meeting of the Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors met at the Botetourt County Administration Center at Greenfield in Amsterdam.
The county had previously appointed a committee in November 2022. Members of that committee were also involved with the BPP, and they asked the Supervisors to consider allowing the BPP to take over the role of Botetourt’s VA250 committee.
The VA250, established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 and chaired by Delegate Terry Austin of Buchanan, would commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the independence of the United States in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Virginia is one of the original 13 colonies and much of the American Revolution took place within the confines of the future state. The VA250 Commission hopes to convene and facilitate a Commonwealth-wide commemoration and celebration. This would include hundreds of partners and representatives and celebrate a wide array of histories, sites, stories, and communities that define Virginia.
Sarah Rodgers told the Supervisors that the Botetourt 250th committee was an informal, ad hoc body with no power to raise funds or otherwise facilitate activities the committee envision. BPP, though not incorporated until 2022, is a non-profit organization with the ability to raise funds, receive grant money and to provide resources beyong the direct personal services of the VA250 committee members.
BPP would be able to receive tax-free donations (both cash and in-kind). BPP’s mission is to facilitate collaboration between local historic and preservation entities to protect and promote the history of Botetourt County.
Rodgers said her request would eliminate overlap between the BPP and Botetourt 250th committee. She also asked for $10,000 from the county’s general undesignated fund balance for the purpose of obtaining matching grant funding that could be awarded to the BPP from the VA250 Commission. The funds would be returned to the county if they were not spent by June 30, 2024.
The Supervisors dissolved the Botetourt 250th Committee and turned the planning over to the BPP, along with the requested funding.
Anita Firebaugh – Special to The Botetourt Bee
