The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors signaled Thursday that the county, which had taken some of the toughest illegal-immigration tacks in Virginia, is now much more reluctant to push for immigration reform.

The new board voted 5-4 to discard a legislative proposal that would have given the county power to revoke building permits and business licenses for employers of unauthorized workers.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a course change,” said Stevens Miller, one of three new Democratic members who swung the tide from a November vote on the measure that had easily passed 6-2. As he campaigned, concerns about taxes and transportation far outweighed illegal immigration, Miller said.

Four-term Supervisor Jim Burton, an independent, led four Democrats in overturning the November vote, saying it would be unconstitutional to locally enforce a policy the federal government has the power to address.

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“The General Assembly can word ’em any way they want to,” but the proposal would not pass a court challenge, Burton said.

But staunch critics of illegal immigration said the employer crackdown is the right thing to do and that any legal issues would be addressed during the General Assembly session.

“The state and feds should look to this as ... another tool to enforce the law that is already on their books,” said Republican Supervisor Lori Waters, who voted in favor of the crackdown.

The previous Republican-led board voted unanimously in July to study denying services to illegal immigrants and pushed for more power from the General Assembly to enact reforms.

“The public should probably not expect too much action from this board,” Waters said.

That’s not a bad thing, Miller said, saying the board had to focus on more pressing matters like a $250 million budget deficit and the county’s transportation woes.

The board Thursday did support a legislative proposal increasing the penalties against owners of overcrowded homes.

How they voted

Against

» Kelly Burk, Democrat

» Jim Burton, independent

» Sally Kurtz, Democrat

» Stevens Miller, Democrat

» Andrea McGimsey, Democrat

For

» Susan Klimek Buckley, Democrat

» Eugene Delgaudio, Republican

» Lori Waters, Republican

» Scott York, independent

dgenz@dcexaminer.com