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City of Roanoke
Proposed Resolutions for Consideration by the Roanoke City Council
The following resolutions are respectfully submitted for consideration by the Roanoke City Council and urge formal opposition to House Bills 1374 and 1377, introduced during the 2026 Session of the Virginia General Assembly. If enacted, these measures would materially alter the governance structure, independence, and continued public status of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), an institution that has operated pursuant to long-established statutory authority and historical practice since its founding in 1839.
Although the Virginia Military Institute is located within a specific locality, its mission, governance, and public role are matters of statewide significance. Actions taken by the General Assembly with respect to such institutions necessarily extend beyond local boundaries and may affect cities across the Commonwealth through precedent, policy, residents who attend VMI, and the expectations upon which local governments rely when carrying out their statutory responsibilities.
Legislative actions that substantially alter the governance frameworks of long-standing public institutions, absent compelling necessity or demonstrated institutional failure, raise concerns about reliance interests and the cumulative impact such actions may have on counties statewide.
House Bills 1374 and 1377 propose measures that would reopen the question of an institution’s public status without a locally initiated request or evidence of institutional incapacity. Such actions risk establishing precedents whereby governance structures relied upon by counties for planning, investment, workforce development, and economic forecasting may be modified with limited consideration of broader local-government impacts. Over time, this uncertainty may impair counties’ ability to plan effectively and fulfill their statutory obligations to residents.
Cities across the Commonwealth have a shared interest in ensuring that state-level decisions affecting major public institutions are undertaken with restraint, transparency, and continuity. The long-standing governance and mission of VMI serve the interests not only of the host community but also of Virginia’s cities and counties collectively, which benefit from institutional stability, predictable public policy, and the consistent application of governance principles.
Adoption of these resolutions would affirm the Rockbridge City Council's responsibility to safeguard county interests, support sound governance practices, and respectfully advise the General Assembly of the broader implications these measures present for local governments statewide. Passage would further communicate the Council's position that legislative actions affecting established public institutions should proceed only with careful consideration of precedent, reliance interests, and long-term impacts on counties throughout the Commonwealth.
The following are just two small examples of the Cadet leadership speaking out on this issue:
I can say VMI is the most inclusive environment that I have ever been a part of" and “"A third one would be a cadet that productively communicates, lives and works with people from many backgrounds and, in my personal experience, not only is this what has been taught here, this has been what has been taught here for decades," (emphasis added
VMI Regimental Commander Devin Auzenne ‘26 (African American)
You can watch the full video of the interview at this link: https://www.foxnews.com/us/vmi-cadets-fight-back-virginia-democrats-threaten-close-historic-military-college
“Just seeing how everyone got along, seeing how people could just go in people’s rooms and just talk to each other—it was just a different type of bond that you just can’t get anywhere else,”
VMI First Class President Max Ankrah ’26 (African American)
You can watch the full video of the interview at this link: https://www.vmialumni.org/ankrah-26-class-president/
Proposed Resolutions for Consideration by the County Board of Supervisors
The following resolutions are respectfully submitted for consideration by the County Board of Supervisors and urge formal opposition to House Bills 1374 and 1377, introduced during the 2026 Session of the Virginia General Assembly. If enacted, these measures would materially alter the governance structure, independence, and continued public status of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), an institution that has operated pursuant to long-established statutory authority and historical practice since its founding in 1839.
Although the Virginia Military Institute is located within a specific locality, its mission, governance, and public role are matters of statewide significance. Actions taken by the General Assembly with respect to such institutions necessarily extend beyond local boundaries and may affect counties across the Commonwealth through precedent, policy, residents who attend VMI, and the expectations upon which local governments rely when carrying out their statutory responsibilities.
Under Virginia’s system of local governance, counties must operate within defined statutory authority while planning and making long-term decisions, relying on the stability of state law and established institutional structures. Legislative actions that substantially alter the governance frameworks of long-standing public institutions, absent compelling necessity or demonstrated institutional failure, raise concerns about reliance interests and the cumulative impact such actions may have on counties statewide.
House Bills 1374 and 1377 propose measures that would dissolve an independent governing board and reopen the question of an institution’s public status without a locally initiated request or evidence of institutional incapacity. Such actions risk establishing precedents whereby governance structures relied upon by counties for planning, investment, workforce development, and economic forecasting may be modified with limited consideration of broader local-government impacts. Over time, this uncertainty may impair counties’ ability to plan effectively and fulfill their statutory obligations to residents.
Counties across the Commonwealth have a shared interest in ensuring that state-level decisions affecting major public institutions are undertaken with restraint, transparency, and continuity. The long-standing governance and mission of VMI serve the interests not only of the host community but also of Virginia’s counties collectively, which benefit from institutional stability, predictable public policy, and the consistent application of governance principles.
Adoption of these resolutions would affirm the County Board of Supervisors’ responsibility to safeguard county interests, support sound governance practices, and respectfully advise the General Assembly of the broader implications these measures present for local governments statewide. Passage would further communicate the Board’s position that legislative actions affecting established public institutions should proceed only with careful consideration of precedent, reliance interests, and long-term impacts on counties throughout the Commonwealth.
The following are just two small examples of the Cadet leadership speaking out on this issue:
I can say VMI is the most inclusive environment that I have ever been a part of" and “"A third one would be a cadet that productively communicates, lives and works with people from many backgrounds and, in my personal experience, not only is this what has been taught here, this has been what has been taught here for decades," (emphasis added
VMI Regimental Commander Devin Auzenne ‘26 (African American)
You can watch the full video of the interview at this link: VMI cadets defend school as Virginia Democrats threaten state funding | Fox News
“Just seeing how everyone got along, seeing how people could just go in people’s rooms and just talk to each other—it was just a different type of bond that you just can’t get anywhere else,”
VMI First Class President Max Ankrah ’26 (African American)
You can watch the full video of the interview at this link: Ankrah ’26: Class President - VMI Alumni Agencies
Accordingly, the following resolutions are presented for the Board’s consideration and action.
After you act on this request, please contact VMI@thecadetfoundation.org so they can record whether your county does or does not support this request.
RESOLUTION ON HOUSE BILL 1374
RESOLUTION IN RE: OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED HOUSE BILL 1374, WHICH WOULD AMEND AND RENACT § 23.1-2501 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, RELATING TO THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE; BOARD OF VISITORS; MEMBERSHIP
WHEREAS, House Bill 1374 has been introduced in the 2026 General Assembly Session, which, in sum, fundamentally and substantially changes the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute and eliminates the requirement for any VMI alumni to serve on the board while significantly limiting the number of alumni/ae that can serve to eliminate any majority; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1374 increases the number of required non-alumni board members who may have no experience with, nor support VMI, its founding principles, honor code; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1374 reduces the number of required Virginia residents who serve on the board so as to create the opportunity that VMI will be controlled by a majority of members who are neither Virginians nor VMI Alumni; and
WHEREAS, the VMI board serves the vital role of hiring and evaluating superintendents, reviewing disciplinary appeals, setting strategic direction, influencing funding priorities, determining long-term institutional posture, and ultimately, the structure, application, oversight, operation, and existence of the Honor Code, Honor System, Ratline, Corps System, and Class System; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia Military Institute (hereinafter VMI) was founded in 1839 as America's first state-sponsored and supported military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the United States; and
WHEREAS, in 1839, Lexington and Rockbridge County citizens, led by an esteemed Lexington resident and native son of Virginia, developed the foundational design and principles of VMI, which they later gained Commonwealth approval to implement, establishing the citizen-soldier model later adopted nationally; and
WHEREAS, in keeping with its founding principles and unlike any other Senior Military College in the United States, VMI enrolls cadets only, awards bachelor's degrees exclusively, and grants degrees in disciplines in engineering, science, and the liberal arts; and
WHEREAS, VMI has produced approximately 26,000 graduates during its 186 years of existence, many of whom have served the United States of America, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Marine Corps, including over 285 graduates who have obtained the rank of general or flag officer; and
WHEREAS, VMI is the only Virginia Institution of Higher education with a State Cadet program that graduates citizen-soldiers to work directly for the Commonwealth and benefit all citizens and has produced leaders in the military, education, medicine, law, and engineering; and
WHEREAS, VMI, as a treasured part of the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has more than earned the right to govern itself under its own Board of Visitors as it has done for over 186 years; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Governor Campbell (D) opined in 1839 warning of implementing changes to VMI motivated by the political ideologies of the day vice the best inttersts of Virginia, "…as time goes on the experimenting and compromising with fundamental and unchanging principles of discipline become ever more costly with loss of efficiency and just at the time they are most needed to make of the Institute a model for the country as a whole which is suffering sorely from progressive education."; and
WHEREAS VMI and the VMI Family are essential parts of The City of Roanoke’s society and economy whose future and governance should not be conducted from afar by those who have no stake in the County, its residents, or businesses; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Roanoke City Council hereby expresses and affirms its strong opposition to House Bill 1374, which amends Title 23.1 of the Code of Virginia to fundamentally and substantially changes the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute by, among other changes eliminates the requirement for any VMI alumni to serve on the board; significantly limits the number of alumni/ae that can serve to eliminate any alumni/ae majority; increases the number of required non-alumni board members who may have no experience with, nor support VMI, its founding principles, honor code, Honor System, Ratline, Corps System, and Class System; reduces the number of required Virginia residents who serve on the board so as to create the opportunity that VMI will be controlled by a majority of members who are neither Virginians nor VMI Alumni/ae and urges the General Assembly to reject said legislation, in any form a copy of which is attached hereto.
This Resolution was adopted by the Roanoke City Council on this XX day of February 2026.
Recorded vote:
Moved: ____
Seconded: ____
Yeas: _ __ City Council
Nays: ___ ATTEST:
____
CityAdministrator
RESOLUTION ON HOUSE BILL 1377
RESOLUTION
IN RE: OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED HOUSE BILL 1377, WHICH WOULD CREATE A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE HIGHER EDUCATION AT THE INSTITUTE
WHEREAS, House Bill 1377 has been introduced in the 2026 General Assembly Session, which in sum creates a task force to determine whether the Virginia Military Institute should be fundamentally changed, continue to be a state-sponsored institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia, or be consolidated into other Virginia institutions; and
WHEREAS, HB1377’s adversarial framing asserts contested historical and cultural conclusions, including accusations of treason, and conclusions that VMI and its cadets committed treason against the United States, with such language dividing Virginians instead of uniting us; and
WHEREAS, the Task Force does not include any Department of War representation to assess that impact, nor any Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to assess the racial, nor any Department of Education representatives to investigate gender and Title IX, which are within Federal responsibilities and not the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The 2021 State Investigation of VMI cited in House Bill 1377 found no explicit racist or sexist policies, no overt Honor Court bias, full Title IX compliance, and minority retention rates exceeding peer group schools in Virginia; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Task Force questions the replaceability of a federally integrated military institution,
WHEREAS, the Virginia Military Institute (hereinafter VMI) was founded in 1839 as America's first state-sponsored and supported military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the United States.
WHEREAS, the concept and design of VMI and its founding principles were developed and adopted by the citizens of Lexington, Virginia, in Rockbridge County in 1839 lead by an esteemed Lexington, Virginia, resident and a native son of Virginia, and later became the standard of the citizen-soldier throughout the United States,
WHEREAS, in keeping with its founding principles and unlike any other Senior Military College in the United States, VMI enrolls cadets only, awards bachelor's degrees exclusively, and grants degrees in disciplines in engineering, science, and the liberal arts; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia Military Institute has produced approximately 26,000 graduates during its 186 years of existence, many of whom have served the United States of America in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Marine Corps, including over 285 graduates who have obtained the rank of general or flag officer; and
WHEREAS, VMI is the only Virginia Institution of Higher education with a State Cadet program that graduates citizen-soldiers to work directly for the Commonwealth and benefit all citizens, and has produced leaders in the military, medicine, law, education, engineering, and business; and
WHEREAS, VMI and the VMI Family are treasured and essential parts of the Roanoke City COuncil and Virginia's society and economy; and
WHEREAS, VMI has more than proven itself worthy of the Commonwealth of Virginia's investment of public funds in producing citizen-soldiers who have served the Commonwealth and the Republic of the United States of America for over 186 years; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Roanoke City Council that it states and confirms its strong opposition to the House Bill 1377 in any form which proposes to create a task force to investigate and "examine" VMI as well as retains a requirement that the task force assess whether other public institutions could “replace the role of VMI”, and if VMI should continue to be a state-sponsored institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia so as to preserve a direct analytic pathway to defunding the Institute and accordingly urges the General Assembly to reject said legislation, a copy of which is attached to this resolution.
This Resolution was adopted by the Roanoke City Council of Supervisors on this, the ___ day of February 2026.
Recorded vote:
Moved: ____
Seconded: ____ ??????
Yeas: _ ____ Roanoke City Council
Nays: ___ ATTEST:
____
City Administrator
