Greene Supervisors to Meet at Undisclosed Location
****CORRECTED 4:18 pm****
By. Neil Williamson, President
Over eight years ago, the Free Enterprise Forum called out the Greene County Board of 
Supervisors for holding a public meeting and not notifying the media [Greene Supervisors Hold Secret Public Meeting]. This morning, in a moment of Deja Vu all over again, Greene County alerted the media, of a special meeting on December 18th at an “undisclosed location”. Here is the proposed agenda:
Greene County Board of Supervisors
Undisclosed Location
Tuesday, December 18, 2018 – 8:00 a.m.
1. Call to order
2. 8:00 a.m. – CLOSED MEETING
Matters pursuant to Section 2.2-3711 (a, 1-7) of the Code of Virginia
3. – OPEN MEETING
4. Reconvene, certify closed meeting
5. Adjourn
We applaud Greene letting us know they are meeting. We anticipate this is regarding the hiring of their new County administrator which is absolutely a proper use of the closed meeting provisions provided by Virginia State Code.
We believe holding the meeting at an “Undisclosed Location” is a violation of the **spirit but not the letter [added at 4:13 pm nw]** of public meetings law.
§ 2.2-3707. Meetings to be public; notice of meetings; recordings; minutes.
A. All meetings of public bodies shall be open, except as provided in §§ 2.2-3707.01 and 2.2-3711.
C. Every public body shall give notice of the date, time, and location of its meetings by:
1. Posting such notice on its official public government website, if any;
2. Placing such notice in a prominent public location at which notices are regularly posted; and
3. Placing such notice at the office of the clerk of the public body or, in the case of a public body that has no clerk, at the office of the chief administrator.
Emphasis added – NW
After publishing this post, I learned of a different code section that explicitly permits closed meetings at an undisclosed location.
B. The notice provisions of this chapter shall not apply to closed meetings of any public body held solely for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the position of chief administrative officer. Prior to any such closed meeting for the purpose of interviewing candidates, the public body shall announce in an open meeting that such closed meeting shall be held at a disclosed or undisclosed location within 15 days thereafter.
Greene County Board of Supervisors is hosting a legal meeting at an undisclosed location. Despite being just as legal as the secret public meeting was in 2010 — it does not make it right.
Yogi Berra said it best, “Deja Vu all over again”.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna and Nelson County. For more information visit the website www.freeenterpriseforum.org
Photo Credit: davescottblog.com
Greene Supervisors Approve Ruckersville Rezoning
By Brent Wilson, Field Officer
Ruckersville, especially near the intersection of US 29 and Route 33, is one of Greene County’s
designated development areas. The northwest corner of Ruckersville has developed with Walmart and Lowes. The newly redeveloped Market by Tiger Fuel opened its doors late last year on the Southeast corner. Last night (12/11) the Greene County Board of Supervisors heard a rezoning request that could eventually add residential uses and lead to a solution to efficient access to the northeast corner of Ruckersville.
For over a decade, Frank Eways has tried to develop a Planned Unit Development (PUD) on his property on Moore Road off Route 33 East with no success. So he has now partnered with Denstock, LLC from Charlottesville to develop an apartment complex on the property.
Planning Director Jim Frydl presented the rezoning request. The Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) would provide water and sewer to the site. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) traffic impact study for the apartment project indicated the traffic created by the apartment use is close to the traffic predicted by the existing PUD.
The school impact data indicated these apartments would have less impact than other development types. The average number of students per Single Family Home is .56 students/house, a Multi-Family Unit – townhouse/condo – normally is .32 students/unit. However, Terrace Greene apartments in Greene County near the Albemarle County line have produced .14 students/unit. In addition, Terrace Greene low vacancy rate indicates a strong demand for high end apartments.
Denise LaCour from Denstock, LLC has significant local development experience. She was the head of the Kessler Group that developed Forest Lakes and in 2013 she started Denstock. Currently Denstock has developed 965 high end apartments in central Virginia with another 224 units in process
Stone Creek Village near Monticello High School – Developed by Denstock, LLC
Denstock’s plan is to develop the Eways property and hopes that the county will approve a connector road to US 29 at the intersection where the road from Lowes intersects US 29. The connector road is not part of the rezoning application however it is on the agenda for the Planning Commission next week as a Special Use Permit.
LaCour addressed the markets the project is trying to serve – millennials and baby boomers – both with disposable income and without families. In broad strokes she described millennials as mobile and not wanting to be tied down to owning a property. She also indicated Baby boomers don’t want the maintenance that comes with ownership. They want to be able to travel for weeks at a time without worrying about mowing the yard.
In the public hearing portion of the meeting three citizens spoke about Moore Road being a rural road.
Supervisors Chair Michelle Flynn pointed out that the area being considered is not zoned agricultural but is being considered to rezone from PUD to R-2, Residential with basically the same density. She also highlighted that the demand for this project is confirmed by Terrace Greene being full.
Supervisor Bill Martin indicated this property is in an area that is planned to grow but that the existing PUD zoning has not been successful. The presentation clearly demonstrates there is a demand which is supported by Terrace Greene’s success. He also appreciated the explanation of the connection to US 29 – although it was not part of the rezoning being requested – it demonstrates a long term solution to getting traffic onto US 29.
Supervisor Marie Durrer clearly stated that she was against the rezoning request prior to the meeting but, now understanding that the plan is to eventually connect to US 29 where the Lowes intersection is located, has changed her mind. Supervisor David Cox also agreed that the connector road was a major factor in his supporting the rezone request.
Although the connector road will be addressed as a Special Use Permit and is not part of the rezoning application, the applicant clearly stated that the connector road is a critical piece to the success of this development. With that, the Supervisors unanimously approved the rezoning request.
Brent Wilson is the Greene County Field Officer for the Free Enterprise Forum a privately funded public policy organization. The Free Enterprise Forum Field Officer program is funded by a generous grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® (CAAR) and by readers like you. To support this important work please donate online at http://www.freeenterpriseforum.org
A Holiday Tradition– “Rio The SmallPlan”
Adapted from comments to the Albemarle County Planning Commission 12/18/2018
By. Neil Williamson, President
In what has become either a dreaded recurrence or a nice tradition, the Free Enterprise Forum annually presents a reworked holiday poem as a literary gift to the Planning Commission.
Last year, we penned Rudolph the 
Form Based Code. In 2017 we started the tradition with An Albemarle Planning Christmas. So this year before we pack up our holiday fare and go over the riparian buffer and through the forest easement to grandmother’s house for the holiday, with apologies to original songwriters Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson we offer the 2018 poem “Rio – The SmallPlan”.
Rio the
SmallPlan
Rio, the SmallPlan was a fighter against sprawl
With a dog bone roundabout and a transit stop
And roads right through Fashion Square Mall
Rio, the SmallPlan is a fairy tale, they say
He was made of ink, but the planners think
He may come to life one day
There must have been some magic
In that new Form Based Code they penned
For even before they got it enacted
Rezonings started to trend
Oh Rio, the SmallPlan was alive as he could be
And the Planners say he could bend and play
Just the same as Euclidian and me
Roads running here and there
Through structures in the square,
Saying “Market Build me if you can…”
Traffic calming humpty, hump, hump,
humpety, hump, hump
Look how Rio thrives, traffic calming
humpety, hump, hump,
Elevated crosswalk, bumpety, bump, bump
the walkable community where everyone drives.
Rio, the SmallPlan knew his roads were interconnected
So he said, “Let’s run and we’ll have some fun
Now, before I am traffic infected”
Rio, the SmallPlan knew his roads were interconnected
So he said, “Let’s run and we’ll have some fun
Now, before I am traffic infected”
Down to ACAC with a set of green dots in his hand
Runnin’ here and there, all around Albemarle Square
Sayin’, “Prioritize me if you can”
Traffic calming humpty, hump, hump,
humpety, hump, hump
Look how Rio thrives,
traffic humpety, hump, hump,
flooded parkland sump pump,
the walkable community where everyone drives.
He led them through
pedestrian oriented plan
Right to Rachel, the Planner Czar
He only paused for just a moment
When he heard her holler, “Car”
Because ol’ Rio, the SmallPlan, he had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye sayin’, “Don’t you cry
when market condition are right, I’ll be back again some day “
Merry Christmas to one and all.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Original Songwriters: Jack Rollins,Steve Nelson
Albemarle’s $5 Million ACP Mitigation & The Big Blue Marble
By. Neil Williamson, President
The PBS series The Big Blue Marble was very popular in my elementary school years. This program was ground breaking in presenting environmental (and social) concepts to children around the world including the interconnectivity of all natural systems to one another.
Based on recent actions, we are confused if Albemarle County considers itself part of the world’s larger interconnected ecosystem or an independent environment.
In their recent discussions of proposed stream health guidelines in the development area, Albemarle County seems to claim independence from the larger ecosystem –
9. Require that all stormwater treatment be conducted on-site or that any nutrient credits purchased are from a nutrient credit bank located in Albemarle County in order to qualify for special exceptions to zoning requirements, density bonuses, or cluster provisions,
Despite our recent post [Snow White and Albemarle’s Stream Health Incentives] highlighting the fact that currently no such nutrient credit bank exists in Albemarle County, staff contends this concept of “Albemarle Specific” Credits were critically important to the environmental community.
With this understanding we were perplexed by Allison Wrabel’s front page Daily Progress article [$5M in pipeline funds to support new Albemarle park] .
Though the Atlantic Coast Pipeline route does not cross through Albemarle, $5 million in pipeline mitigation money is earmarked for the future Biscuit Run Park in the county….Being in the route of the pipeline is not a criterion to receive mitigation funds, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Joshua Saks said…
Philosophically, the existence of the federally approved mitigation offer ignoring geographic specifics and Albemarle’s acceptance of such funds indicate an understanding and acknowledgement of natural interdependence.
The Free Enterprise Forum believes intellectual integrity requires that Albemarle County drop its isolationist environmental stream health demands and join with the rest of the world on our journey through space on our shared Big Blue Marble.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
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Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
Photo Credits:lermaster.weebly.com
Government Tourism Coup Will Produce Poor, Politically Palatable, Promotion and Pitiful Profitability
FORUM WATCH EDITORIAL
By. Neil Williamson, President
Local government is poised to cook the golden goose — tourism.
After a series of political moves over several years, local government, not the local tourism industry, is now in charge of marketing our community to the outside world; they honestly don’t know what they don’t know.
And they are about to become more powerful.
Please let me explain.
Imagine if your business was required to calculate, collect and turn over to the government additional taxes purportedly to promote the region and therefore generate more business for you.
That’s how § 58.1-3819. Transient occupancy tax (TOT) works. This is the taxes paid by those who stay in a particular locality (Hotel, Motel, Campground, AirBnB, etc.) for the privilege of doing so.
So now that the tourist tax dollars have been properly collected and turned over to the government, who should be in charge of making the marketing decisions designed to generate tourism?
The industry or the elected officials?
The state code section seems to have an opinion about that specific issue:
….may levy a transient occupancy tax not to exceed five percent, and any excess over two percent shall be designated and spent solely for tourism and travel, marketing of tourism or initiatives that, as determined after consultation with the local tourism industry organizations, including representatives of lodging properties located in the county, attract travelers to the locality, increase occupancy at lodging properties, and generate tourism revenues in the locality. If any locality has enacted an additional transient occupancy tax pursuant to subsection C of § 58.1-3823, then the governing body of the locality shall be deemed to have complied with the requirement that it consult with local tourism industry organizations, including lodging properties.
The Free Enterprise Forum joined with many in the tourism and hospitality industry raising concerns when the elected officials changed the structure of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) Board from being industry led (a best management practice across the nation) to being led by elected officials and government employees. The current Executive Board includes a representative from each elected body, as well as Charlottesville’s city manager, Albemarle’s county executive, an economic development staff member from both the city and the county and a representative from the University of Virginia and two industry representatives, one each appointed by the city and the county. This means currently two-thirds (66.6%) of the current board is elected or works for the locality.
The localities want this to change, they want MORE POWER. Next week (12/12) Albemarle County will accept public comment on the proposed changes to the CACVB.
From their proposed proclamation:
WHEREAS, the County and the City desire to amend the Agreement to authorize two members of the Board of Supervisors and two members of the City Council to serve on the CACVB’s Executive Board and to making any corresponding changes to the Agreement as provided in the amended agreement attached hereto as Attachment A (the “First Amended Agreement”).
Regardless of the individuals in the positions, this means that marketing and advertising decisions will be made by a a board where 73% of the members are not directly involved in tourism (either elected officials or work for the locality). Does this sound like the kind of consultation contemplated under State Code?
The challenge of getting officials to understand marketing outside of their world was made exceedingly clear in the October CACVB advertising pitch. Allison Wrabel of the Daily Progress has the story
CACVB Interim Executive Director Adam Healey said that the campaign is aimed at 25 to 44 year olds in the Washington, D.C. area and Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill in North Carolina, who are looking for short or overnight trips.
“You are not always your customer when you’re doing marketing,” he said…..
…Board member Roger Johnson, Albemarle County economic development director, said he thought the same general concept, but with a regional brand that “wasn’t so Charlottesville centered” would be “better accepted by the folks in Albemarle County who are taxpayers” and the target group….
…Albemarle supervisors Diantha McKeel and Ann Mallek said they hardly saw the county mentioned….“It will be a surprise to no one that it took me seven years to get Albemarle on the logo and I’m not going to give it up,” Mallek said….
Many of the industry representatives on the board supported using “C’ville” in some fashion and said they thought the proposed campaign was a great start.
“In my mind, the C’ville six letters identifies the region,” said George Hodson with Veritas Vineyard & Winery, the county tourism industry representative on the board. “I think we can’t lose sight of the forest through the trees and kind of lead with our own baggage. C’ville identifies this region without saying Charlottesville.”
“Why try to gum up peoples’ mouths with phrases and long things that aren’t going to be marketable?”
The proposal is the groundwork of a good campaign, he said.
With the latest government expansion it is being made abundantly clear that the government, not the practitioners will control the marketing message. It’s difficult for many to understand, the message that resonates to you (and your voters) may not be the message needed to attract young visitors with disposable income and free time. If such decisions are left to municipal officials, it may be a very expensive lesson.
We believe this structural error goes against best management principles and is in conflict with the intent of the state code. We believe the imbalance should be reversed, those who collect tourist tax dollars [and have a vested interest in their success] should have the ability to impact where and how the promotional dollars are spent.
In addition, many of the officials on the CACVB board wants to change the performance metrics away from hotel occupancy rates “Heads in Beds” to something else. If the funding comes from those “Heads in Beds” shouldn’t that be the promotional focus and evaluation tool?
I really hope we are wrong about the officials’ CACVB marketing blind spots and the localities don’t waste millions of visitor (not residents) tax dollars in poor promotion.
If we are right, unfortunately, it will be the tourism industry that will first feel the pain of a poor, politically palatable, promotion producing pitiful profitability.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
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Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County. For more information visit the website www.freeenterpriseforum.org
Photo Credit: http://angielskidlakazdego.blox.pl/resource/goldenegg.jpg
Thankful, Hopeful & Skeptical in Charlottesville
By. Neil Williamson, President
In this time of Thanksgiving, I have so much to be thankful for; unexpectedly, the Charlottesville Planning Commission is now on that list.
Please let me explain.
Late in last night’s Planning Commission work session, after hearing the Free Enterprise Forum concerns with the proposed comprehensive plan and the land use map, as it existed prior to Saturday’s meeting, Chair Lisa Green asked that the map and narrative they created be shared with the 4 members of the public in attendance. Each of us took photographs of the map and narrative with the understanding these are just drafts.
Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan Map Draft Before Saturday (11/17) Planning Commission Matinee Meeting
Revisions to Charlottesville Draft Comprehensive Plan Map from Post Planning Commission Saturday Matinee Meeting (11/17)
Comparing the two images, I see hope for increased intensity, AKA density, in many nodes.
Green expressed a desire for folks to read the narrative- something I refer to as the “Intensity Spectrum”. Staff attempted to type in new language on the fly during Saturday’s meeting – that is the image below – it will undoubtedly change but we like the direction it is headed.
We again see hope in the draft language that was captured includes the verbiage “Missing Middle Housing”. The previous version went from high to low with very little room for middle housing.
It is our understanding that the Planning Commission will see staff’s rendition of the changes at their regular December 11th meeting but the documents will have already been submitted for the December 17th City Council meeting. The Planning Commission will deliver an incomplete update of the Comprehensive Plan, the Community Engagement chapter is not yet drafted and the Land Use chapter is not yet complete.
Council will provide their comments on the draft and it will return to the Planning Commission for further meetings and refinements (and completion of the two unfinished chapters).
While I remain a healthy skeptic waiting to see the devil in the details, I sincerely appreciate the direction and conversations about making the CITY of Charlottesville a “Welcoming urban environment for all people”.
So I am thankful for the Charlottesville Planning Commission for listening to the public AND sharing the draft output from their Saturday matinee session.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County. For more information visit the website www.freeenterpriseforum.org
C-ville’s Height Slight Harms Affordable Housing
By. Neil Williamson, President
Adapted from comments presented to Charlottesville Planning Commission November 20, 2018
I want to be encouraged, but I don’t know that I should be.
Earlier this year, City Council received the Housing Needs Assessment. This study indicated the City needed over 3,000 affordable units added to the inventory to meet the current need. One might think the Comprehensive Plan that was being drafted by the Planning Commission would seek to address this need by increasing density. One might be wrong – in fact you may have done the reverse.
Based on our reading of the proposed fuzzy line maps, before Saturday’s meeting, you are designing a City with significantly fewer by right residential units than your current comprehensive plan. We do not know what the by right density of the new plan compared with your current plan. We again ask for that data before you move this forward to City Council.
As we 
alerted you to back in January [Cville PC Paradox — Build Less & Increase Affordability], the plan reduces ‘by right’ building height (and therefore capacity) across nine of the City’s thirteen zoning districts.
Considering the importance of the “Missing Middle” Housing that we discussed back in August [ Affordable Housing Policy Makes Building Affordable Housing Impossible], the Free Enterprise Forum is disappointed at the dominance of yellow “Low Intensity” land use that dominates the proposed map.
Two days ago, you held your ill timed Saturday afternoon work session – which was required because you were unable to plan and complete your work on schedule in the previous work sessions. – I understand in that meeting you recolored the map to allow increasing “intensity” by right. I do not know because I had other plans on Saturday afternoon [William & Mary vs. Richmond Football] and I missed your matinee program.
Neither does the rest of the public because as of 4 pm today, the map has not been changed on the website.
Absent any information for the public to review, we can only be hopeful that the map of your plan for growing Charlottesville will see the yellow move to higher intensity.
I beg of you to be honest with the public and tell them exactly what this plan, as drafted, will allow is fewer units to be constructed without a special use permit (SUP).
The political reality of the day is if an SUP is required the project is DOA 
because a vocal NIMBY minority, sometimes citing community values, will be empowered to show up at the public hearing and stand in the way of the additional density that could help the City meet its growing housing needs.
A Planning Commission, worthy of the name, should be planning for a future for all its future citizens not just preserving the status quo. Failing to properly allow and plan for growth in a land locked City, will result in a failing “World Class” City.
I do hope the new map will have more purple and more intensity.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson, President
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County. For more information visit the website www.freeenterpriseforum.org
Photo Credit: www.missingmiddle.com
Charlottesville PC Puts Public Last
By. Neil Williamson, President
Despite their significant public engagement efforts on the Comprehensive Plan review, Charlottesville’s Planning Commission can’t seem to get it right. Case in point, their work session agenda
So this Saturday, yes Saturday, the Planning Commission will meet for nearly five hours and THEN hear what the public has to say just before they adjourn. I wish I could say this is an isolated incident, but this has been their work session model for months.
The reality is at the end of each work session the commissioners are worn out and are literally packing their bags while the public has an opportunity to comment. Several substantive comments have been made at the end of these meetings but rarely followed up on.
At the end of a recent meeting, the Free Enterprise Forum posed a simple question, would the by right population density of Charlottesville go up or down under the revised comprehensive plan (and subsequent code changes). They adjourned after public comments and this fundamental question still has not been answered.
Considering the Commission’s stated desire for community involvement, it is sad that in their Comprehensive Plan work sessions they decided to put the public last.
Respectfully submitted,
Neil Williamson
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
Fluvanna Seeks to Direct ZXR Commercial Growth Via Water/Sewer Fees
By. Bryan Rothamel, Field Officer
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors have a blank canvas when it comes to Zion Crossroads, but it doesn’t own the land.
The vast majority of the land the new Zion Crossroads (ZXR) water system will service is currently zoned A-1 so it will require rezoning to allow commercial activity. The fear is the land currently isn’t expensive with a new water system, there could be an economic incentive to developing single family homes by right. This would be contrary to the economic development rationale used to justify the water system as the county spent the money to attract businesses, not more residential.
One way to discourage housing is finding a sweet spot with connection fees of the ZXR water system. Supervisors had a work session on November 7th to discuss strategies for the system.
The idea is connection charges would be higher than most localities but not the highest. Connection charges for a single family house would typically be absorbed in the cost of the house. But if the total connection is at minimum $16,000, that would be too large a percentage of an average home price in Fluvanna.
A large business wouldn’t bat an eye to the same cost. “That’s pennies or peanuts compared to their overall market studies,” said Wayne Stephens, ZXR water project manager.
Other options the county has is changing the comprehensive plan in regards to the community planning area.
“(The comprehensive plan) already talks about encouraging high density but we need to emphasize discouraging low density,” said Jason Stewart, planning and zoning administrator.
Also, county staff is working on minimizing the rezoning process including trying to make the
Steve Nichols
county ordinance easier to navigate. The county attorney, Fred Payne, said some of that might make it easier for the average person but it might not stand up in court.
“Find a way to make it easy,” said Steve Nichols, County Administrator.
Fluvanna County will start using Municode, a program that makes the county code searchable. Currently the code is available on the county website via downloadable PDFs by chapter.
Supervisors are attempting to use all the tools at their disposal to make the Zion Crossroads area desirable to business and less attractive to residential. The Free Enterprise Forum is not convinced making water and sewer hook ups more expensive is the right direction. Generally speaking, we oppose using water as a growth control tool within designated development areas.
We do applaud the concept of streamlining the rezoning process to make Fluvanna more business friendly and we sincerely appreciate the County Administrator’s clear direction, “Find a way to make it easy”. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
The Free Enterprise Forum’s coverage of Fluvanna County is provided by a grant from the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® and by the support of readers like you.
Bryan Rothamel covers Fluvanna County for the Free Enterprise Forum
The Countdown — Time to Think About 2019
By. Neil Williamson, President
Recognizing today is the ‘Morning After’ Election Day 2018, it may seem premature to start talking about 2019. It’s not.
The Free Enterprise Forum believes the vast majority of the candidates for the 2019 races will make their decisions in the next 60 days.
That’s right, by the time you watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, who will be on the ballot in November (and the primaries) will likely already be determined.
Wait, we just had an election.
Yes, this is Virginia, we love elections so much we vote EVERY year. What are we voting for in 2019? So glad you asked — from Virginia’s Board of Elections:
Some might look at that list (on the left) and believe this is not that important an election, we think otherwise.
While the Federal and statewide offices get a significant amount of publicity (and paid advertising), it is the local races that bring government home. These are the elected officials you run into at the grocery store AND who control your property taxes, school spending as well as the majority of your land use decisions.
Who is up?
In addition to the House of Delegates, Virginia Senate, School Boards and Constitutional officers, here is the list for Board of Supervisors and City Council –
Albemarle County: Board of Supervisors Ann Mallek, White Hall; Rick Randolph, Scottsville; Norman Dill, Rivanna
Charlottesville: Wes Bellamy, Kathy Galvin, Mike Signer [important note Primary Date is June 11th]
Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors Mozell Booker, Fork Union; Patricia Eager, Palmyra
Greene County Board of Supervisors David Cox, Monroe; Michelle Flynn, Ruckersville; Dale Herring, At Large
Louisa County Board of Supervisors Willie Gentry, Cuckoo; Troy Wade, Louisa; Toni Williams, Jackson;
Nelson County Board of Supervisors Thomas Bruguiere, Jr, West; Larry Saunders, South
Without question local (and state) government impacts your life.
The question is who will step up to fill these important leadership positions.
- Will the current incumbents run again?
- Will they have any opposition?
- Who will step up?
- Will there be a primary challenge?
- Do you know someone who should run?
- Should you run for office?
Once again we have more questions than answers but this much we do know – the candidates (and their families) will likely decide by NYE 2019.
The Free Enterprise Forum maintains an open door policy to talk with anyone regarding running for local office and what is required to serve.
As a non-partisan organization, we do not endorse candidates but we do support contested elections. We believe uncontested elections make untested officials.
Respectfully Submitted,
Neil Williamson
Neil Williamson is the President of The Free Enterprise Forum, a privately funded public policy organization covering the City of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Louisa and Nelson County.
