Baugh to chair Planning Commission

Appointment adds to long service to city by former mayor

Richard Baugh was appointed chair of the Planning Commission tonight, (1/8/25) marking the first time since the early 1990s that the same person has served as both mayor and chair of the planning commission. Baugh served as mayor of Harrisonburg 2013-14.

Bob Heath had chaired the Planning Commission before serving as mayor from 1992 to 1994.

Baugh was elected to City Council in 2008. He lost re-election in 2020, when he was not nominated in the Democratic caucus. He had served on Planning Commission before being elected to council, and was the council’s representative to the commission. As such, he has served longer on the Planning Commission than anyone this century, and possibly ever.

Brent Finnegan, the previous chair, was appointed vice chair.

Baugh’s nomination loss in 2020 was partly a reaction to his vote in January 2018 to delay construction of a second high school. He stated at the time that financing the school would take the city close to its borrowing limit, and that something unforeseen might happen to create a large negative impact on tax revenues.

Although Baugh did not specify what unforeseen event might occur, construction of the school had to be further delayed because of the unforeseen pandemic.

Baugh was appointed to an interim position on council when George Hirschman resigned in 2021 for health reasons. He did not seek reelection after that partial term.

Other Planning Commission actions at the meeting will be detailed in a separate post.