If you attended the June 1 Charlottesville City Council meeting, you may have been surprised when Councilor Michael Payne said, “there are a number of boards and commissions with vacancies,” and even more boards with terms expiring soon.
City website data shows that Council appoints roughly 160 positions (excluding ex officio and city departmental appointments) across 51 boards. Of those positions, 28 seats (17.5 percent) are vacant at press time.
According to the Clerk of Council’s office, this amount of openings is normal, especially at this point in the quarterly appointment cycle.
“I expect we’ll have many more applications three weeks before the deadline, and even more in the week prior to the deadline,” says Maxicelia Robinson, deputy clerk of Council.
Robinson’s prediction aligns with prior reporting and recent archival data. A capture of the city’s boards and commissions page from July 8, 2025, lists 53 openings, and retrieval of October 22, 2025, data shows 31 vacancies.
The Board of Zoning Appeals, which is appointed by Charlottesville Circuit Court, meets once a month, provided an application has been submitted, to issue decisions on zoning appeals. While all five of the BZA seats are filled, one of the three alternate seats on the quasi-judicial board is open. The alternate seat opened up early following the resignation of Cecilia Mills in February, who held the seat for more than four years.
Two seats for affordable housing beneficiaries are currently open on the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund Committee. The group makes recommendations to Council and city leadership on the use of affordable housing funding and priorities. The group meets as needed and comprises nine members. Seats are split evenly between city staff, at-large community members, and affordable housing beneficiaries.
The Community Development and Block Grant & HOME Task Force also has two openings with specific residency requirements. Seats reserved for the 10th & Page and Ridge Street neighborhoods are currently vacant. The task force is charged with advising and making recommendations to Council and the Planning Commission regarding usage of grants in areas like economic development and affordable housing. The group meets as needed.
As implied by the name, the Historic Resources Committee is an advocacy group for the preservation and “documentation and interpretation of local history” through collaboration. Seat 8 is currently vacant following the February resignation of Jalane Schmidt, who served on the committee for almost a decade. More seats on the committee, which meets monthly, will open at the end of June.
The Housing Advisory Committee brings together housing professionals from different sectors once a month to update Council on for-profit and affordable housing needs across the city and region. The open seat on the HAC is designated for a real estate professional, and has been open since former member Philip d’Oronzio completed his term at the end of 2025. Per the city website, eligible candidates include brokers, lenders, for-profit developers, and architects.
A Charlottesville seat on the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Board of Directors is also open following the exit of Elayne Phillips at the end of March. The group oversees leadership and priorities for JABA, and meets every other month.
The five-member Local Board of Building Code Appeals has an opening for its property manager seat. As the name suggests, the group meets as needed to weigh appeals from building and structure owners who “request modification of the code in erection, alteration, or repair.”
Youth and business seats on the Sister Cities Commission are open. The SCC coordinates with each of Charlottesville’s partner cities on cultural exchanges, activities, relationship building, and more. The group meets once a month, and includes 10 local representatives and a member from each of the sister cities in France, Ghana, and Italy and the friendship city in Guatemala.
Three seats on the six-member Towing Advisory Board are vacant, with one slated for a citizen alternate and two designated for towing industry members. The group meets at least once a year, and recommends any needed changes to the towing ordinance. Both the towing industry seats have remained vacant since their most-recent members finished out their terms in June 2025 and June 2023, respectively.
On the Tree Commission, one of the two seats reserved for low-income neighborhood representatives is currently open. The 13-member group meets every month and advises on tree canopy preservation efforts and the latest goings-on with local leaves. The seat has been vacant for more than a year, and is open to designated portions of the Barracks Road, Rose Hill, 10th & Page, and Venable neighborhoods.
The Vendor Appeals Board has two vacancies (and only one active member, LaQuinn Gilmore). The group meets as needed, and is intended to “provide an impartial avenue of appeal” for vendors regarding awards and other local government decisions. The open seats were last occupied in June 2023 and June 2025, respectively.
With nine open seats, the Youth Council has the most vacancies of any board or commission in the city due to a large class of graduating senior representatives. Meetings are held once a month during the school year, and are intended to inform City Council on local youth priorities and potential improvements.
The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority also has two open seats, but closed its application window on June 1. New members may be appointed as soon as June 15.
Interest in the openings has been varied, according to Robinson. At press time, the city has received applications for current or upcoming vacancies on the following boards: CAHFC, Jefferson Madison Regional Library Board, Piedmont Family YMCA Board of Directors, Planning Commission, Retirement Commission, and SCC.
A full list of current and upcoming vacancies can be found at boards.charlottesville.gov.
