Hopewell News

Photo by Berkley Pritchett - Martin Robertson, who was county attorney in Prince George for over 36 years, recently retired. In the photo he holds his commendation and is flanked by Chairman Henry Parker and County Administrator John Kines.

Martin Robertson, who served as county attorney in Prince George County for more than 36 years, has retired. At the Prince George Board of Supervisors meeting Oct. 13 Robertson was given a commendation for his services to the county.
        “Mr. Robertson before I hand this to you and congratulate you, I would like to add I served 28 years of the 36 years that you served,” Chairman Henry Parker said. “It has indeed been an honor and pleasure. You as our county attorney and commonwealth attorney set the standard and raised the bar for legal advice for a locality, and I sincerely mean that. We’ve been through an awful lot together, ups and downs for the county.”
      One of the responsibilities that a county attorney has is giving the Board of Supervisors legal advice about what they can and cannot do. Many times before a board or city council votes, they will consult their attorney to clarify what is legally possible.
      A press release from the county said Robertson also served as commonwealth’s attorney for 30 years while he was serving as county attorney. The difference between the two positions is county attorney ‘s deal with the day to day legal matters of the county but the commonwealth’s attorneys prosecute cases.
      County Administrator John Kines said he knew of no other person who has served as county attorney in Virginia as long as Robertson.
      “You’ve been a great friend and advisor, and no one has been able to center in on the needs of the county with legal issues and provide what was necessary,” Kines said. “You led the ship in that regard and kept the county safe, and the county is what it is today because of a loyal, dedicated person.”
      One of the most notable events from Robertson’s career is being on the legal team that defeated annexation. In the ‘80s Hopewell and Petersburg tried to annex portions of the county. Prince George was the first counties in Virginia to achieve immunity for key areas in the county such as Fort Lee.
As part of the court agreement, a moratorium was placed on annexation. The moratorium was scheduled to expire in 2010 but it has been extended to 2018.
“Martin Robertson has the gratitude, thanks and appreciation of County citizens that have worked with him for a lifetime,” said Kines. “He is a Prince George County legend that cannot be replaced, said Kines.”