OC Supervisor Frame Resigns
Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice-Chair Lee Frame speaks during a reception in recognition of his 16 years of service. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Orange County, VA Administrative Office)
District 5 Supervisor and Vice-Chair Lee Frame has resigned, making him the second member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors to do so this year.
Frame announced his resignation to the public at a meeting of the board Tuesday, Sept. 26. In total, he served 16 years as the representative for District 5, which primarily consists of Lake of the Woods residents on the eastern end of the county. Frame’s term was set to expire at the end of 2023, and he announced in February that he would not be seeking another term.
Lee Frame
“I would like to thank my fellow board members who have been extremely easy to work with, who bring a wide variety of perspectives to the governing of Orange County, and basically have always had the interest of the citizens at heart,” Frame said on Tuesday. “I would also like to thank the county staff for their support to me, their professionalism and their dedication to the wellbeing of Orange County citizens. This has been a great place to work and a great county to work with, and I will be sad to leave it, but things are changing in my life that require that.”
The OC Bulletin reached out to Frame for further comment on his decision to resign, but did not receive a response by press time.
In early July, District 4 Supervisor Jim Crozier also resigned from the board, more than two years ahead of the end of his term in December 2025. Crystal Hale was appointed by the board to serve as interim District 4 Supervisor, and a special election will take place Nov. 7 to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.
At Tuesday’s meeting, several members of the board expressed thanks for Frame’s service to the county.
“In some ways, the District 5 rep has a difficult calling because they essentially represent Lake of the Woods,” said District 1 Supervisor and Chair Mark Johnson. “They've got a homeowners association and a lot of members of that homeowners association who are focused on Lake of the Woods, and it takes a big person to be able to balance that with the best interest of the county as a whole. And Lee has done, I think, a remarkable job of doing that.”
“Lee has put in the time and the extra effort that goes along with this job in a way that all of us can learn from,” added District 2 Supervisor Jim White.
Supervisor Hale, who also serves as Orange County Director of Social Services, thanked Frame for his work on several human services committees, calling him “an advocate for folks who don’t always have an advocate on their side.”
Orange County Administrator Theodore Voorhees confirmed via email that due to the short timeframe between Frame’s resignation and the upcoming November election, the board does not intend to appoint an interim supervisor. Two candidates, Anne LeHuray and current Orange County Planning Commissioner J. Bryan Nicol, will be on the ballot to fill the vacancy left by Frame in District 5.
On Thursday, Sept. 21, Frame also stepped down from his role as chair of the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA), which provides water and sewer services to Orange and Madison counties. Mark Johnson, who is a member of the RSA board in addition to his role as county supervisor, was unanimously voted to become the new RSA chair.
For more information on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, including district boundaries and meeting information, visit www.orangecountyva.gov/95/Board-of-Supervisors.