Democracy requires participation and that means more than just voting. The City of Charlottesville depends on volunteers willing to offer some of their time to serve on a board or a commission.
“We believe it is not only the right, but the responsibility of interested and capable community members to become engaged in local government policy by advising City Council on important local issues,” reads the latest call for applications sent out by the City of Charlottesville.
Charlottesville Community Engagement periodically covers many of these groups and every Sunday is the Week Ahead edition that lists various meetings.
The following are links to vacancies and links to learn more about each body.
- Board of Architectural Review: There is currently one vacancy for the position reserved for a landscape architect.
- Board of Zoning Appeals: This body has two alternates and one of them is vacant.
- Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund Committee: There are two vacancies, both of which are reserved for beneficiaries of affordable housing.
- Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board: There are two vacancies on this seven-member body.
- Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee: There are three vacancies but the charge of this body has recently been reduced to only assist with the creation of a long-range transportation plan.
- Community Development Block Grant & HOME Task Force: There are three vacancies on this body and all three are for neighborhoods that are occasionally recipients of these federal funds.
- Historic Resources Committee: There are two open seats on this ten-person body with vacancies on Seat 4 and Seat 8.
- Housing Advisory Committee: There is one vacancy on this body for a position representing the real estate professional.
- JABA Board for Aging: One of the two seats is vacant.
- JABA Board of Directors: One of three citizen seats is vacant.
- JMRL Board: One of the city’s three seats on this regional body is vacant.
- Local Board of Building Code Appeals: There is one vacancy on this five person body.
- Minority Business Commission: There are no vacancies yet but one is coming up on after June 30.
- Piedmont Virginia Community College Board: There is no vacancy yet but one position is coming up on June 30.
- Region Ten Community Services Board: One of four seats is available.
- Retirement Commission: There are three vacancies coming up on June 30.
- Sister Cities Commission: There is one seat open for someone representing the business community. Four seats are expiring soon.
- Social Services Advisory Board: There are two positions opening up on June 30.
- Thomas Jefferson Water Resources Protection Foundation: Both of the city’s seats on this board are currently vacant.
- Towing Advisory Board: Three of six positions are currently vacant.
- Tree Commission: There are two vacancies with one of them a general seat and the other reserved for a “low-income neighborhood representative.”
- Vendor Appeals Board: Two of three seats are vacant.
- YMCA Board: One of two positions is expiring at the end of June 30.
- Youth Council: This body has new members each year.
An announcement was made at the beginning of the City Council meeting on April 21.
“Applications are currently accepted through May 1,” said City Councilor Michael Payne. “The next cycle of appointments is scheduled for May 18.”
Any questions about what any of these bodies does? Leave a comment.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the April 22, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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