Open Forum

With the county’s population in the 300,000 range, Chesterfield’s 5 magisterial districts may soon be on par with House of Delegates districts in terms of size. As Virginia’s 4th-largest jurisdiction, discussions about enlarging the board of supervisors to 7 seats has ensued in corners of the community, and some have talked of having an at-large BOS chairmanship. This is not unprecedented as Chesterfield’s counterparts among Virginia’s largest municipalities have moved in this direction. However, there are legal concerns over civil rights and representation that are often mentioned in the debates.

As it stands, Fairfax has a 10-member BOS with an elected chairman, Virginia Beach has an 11-member City Council with an elected mayor and 3 at-large seats, Prince William has an 8-member BOS with an elected chairman, and Loudoun has a 9-member BOS with one at-large seat. Our northern neighbor, Henrico, maintains 5 district seats like Chesterfield.

Over a year ago, RGAC board member Bob Herndon asked, “Would you like to elect the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors? Do you see the benefits of a Chairman with a four year term v. one year? Do you want the leader of your County government directly accountable to all the voters of Chesterfield County?”

It would be interesting to know what citizens and observers of the county think of this issue. Chime in.

At its most recent meeting, the RGAC elected a new representative to fill the Dale District spot that had been vacant for some time. We are pleased to announce that Mr. Larry Miller is the newest member of the organization’s board of directors. Larry is a familiar face at RGAC meetings, and county residents also know him as a recent past chairman of the Chesterfield County Republican Committee. With his insights into how the county works (or sometimes doesn’t work), and his energetic interest in Chesterfield’s land-use, transportation, economic development, environmental, and educational polices, Larry brings a key perspective to the RGAC board.

Ironically, his presence also gives us an even number of Democrats, Republicans, and politically unattached members on the 6-person board, thus reinforcing our status as an independent, nonpartisan organization focused on the best interests of the county as whole.

The Board Members are:
Bermuda District – Stella Edwards, Secretary
Clover Hill District – Jim Slaugenhaupt, Vice President
Dale District – Larry Miller
Matoaca District – Bob Herndon, Treasurer
Midlothian District – Mike Harton, President
Director At-Large – Conaway Haskins
Executive Director – Marleen Durfee

Welcome aboard, Larry!

By Stella Y. Edwards
Secretary, Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield
Executive Committee, Virginia PTA

I found the Chesterfield Candidates Forum very informative and well received by those in attendance. Each of the five candidates was present, seemingly well-informed, prepared to engage citizens, and quite neighborly. It may be unprecedented to have such a large number of citizens willing to step up to the plate and campaign for the honor of serving their community in an elected leadership position. Because of the Candidates Forum, the citizens of the Dale District are in a better position to elect the best person to represent them on the county school board.

Those citizens who were torn between attending the Chesterfield Candidates Forum and attending a meeting to reveal the plans for building a new Meadowdale Library, were placed at a terrible disadvantage and missed a fundamental opportunity to take part in the process of making democracy work in their district, and ultimately, in the county. Coordinators for that library-focused meeting might have asked:

How often do we have a special election? How often does any local government have five citizens running for one position? Might we attempt to co-locate the meetings as to provide the best opportunity for all the Dale District residents?

A recommendation made by one citizen via email to Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Kelly Miller (R-Dale) received no response. These are just a sampling of questions that should not have been ignored if the current leaders of the Dale District were primarily interested in having well-informed citizens as we prepare for the November 7 election, as well as, providing a question and answer session on the new library.

I am grateful for the work of the Chesterfield Candidates Forum and its community organization co-sponsors – Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield, Chesterfield County Council of PTAs/PSAs, Meadowbrook Community Council and the Chesterfield Chamber of Commence. Democracy only works when citizens are informed engaged and committed as team members in leading the community. Chesterfield County residents now have the power to meet the challenge of beginning the process of creating the best local government in the country, beginning on November 7, 2006 and completing the process on November 2007. To schedule Forums for 2007, email us at chesterfieldcandidatesforum@comcast.net

Last month, Conaway Haskins delved into the issue of local media monitoring raised by Chesterfield Observer publisher, Greg Pearson. Cross-posted articles on South of the James and Bacon’s Rebellion explored Pearson’s idea about a “news council” for Metro Richmond, and they dealt with Mr. Pearson’s reactions to some of the assertions in the article. As media coverage of local government, politics and citizens issues is a facet of ensuring responsible growth, it seems worth highlighting those articles here to generate discussion about the implications for Chesterfield County.

Who’s Watching the Richmond Media? A multi-part series
- A Theme with Two Variations
- Community Weeklies Diverge on News Council Idea
- Who’s Watching the Richmond Media? Blogs to the Rescue?
- Local Newspaper Publisher Responds to the Series

For Immediate Release
Contact: Stella Y. Edwards
804-530-1809
October 2, 2006

Chesterfield County PTAs and Community Groups Join Together to Hold “School Board Candidates Forum”

Chesterfield County Council of Parent Teachers Association (PTAs/PTSAs) and co-sponsors, Chesterfield Chamber of Commence, Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield and the Meadowbrook Area Community Association have joined to invite the school board candidates for the Dale District seat on the School Board to its “School Board Candidates Forum.” The candidates will to tackle pressing School Board issues and detail their plans to county residents. The forum is scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2006, 7:00 PM in the Auditorium at the Meadowbrook High School, 4901 Cogbill Road, Richmond, Virginia (the school physically located in Chesterfield County).

Candidates see stronger School Board
The candidates for Dale District have stated the importance of a strong school board. This forum will provide the candidates with the opportunity to answer questions submitted to the forum by Chesterfield County citizens, students, parents, teachers, community organizations and community leaders.

Citizens Demand for information is strong
The hosts of the Chesterfield County School Board Candidates Forum have organized the event in hopes that every citizen will pay close attention to every candidate and every race for leadership in the county. Stella Edwards, Forum Coordinator states, “There is no decision on the School Board that is made by one vote, therefore it is imperative that citizens prepare to engage every individual with intent to share leadership and make decisions that affect our community, regardless of the candidate’s magisterial district.” This School Board Candidates Forum will help citizens of Dale District make an informed decision in November, and give County residents a glimpse of what needs to be done in preparation for the 2007 and 2008 elections, county, state and nationwide.

For additional information email: chesterfieldcandidatesforum@comcast.net

On November 7, 2006, two candidates, Dan Gecker and Don Sowder, will be on the ballot for the Midlothian District Supervisors seat. For more information on these two men, see their campaign websites:

By Mike Harton
President, RGAC

September 26’s Richmond Times-Dispatch “Public Square” forum on affordable housing draw a packed house for a passion-packed hour-and-a-half. Who represented Chesterfield County at the meeting? With the exception of Tom Jacobson, Director of Revitalization and Community Development, I saw no county officials present—no commissioners, no supervisors, no other staff members. Proof that affordable housing is not on their radar screen?

Who represented Chesterfield at the forum? Scores of hands went up when Tom Silvestri asked who was present from Chesterfield. Our county was well represented by our citizens, many of whom spoke informatively and passionately about the subject. In addition to remarks by RGA member Shelly Schuetz (who drew enthusiastic applause) I called attention to the fact that, despite our county officials’ assertions that there is plenty of affordable housing, there is no affordable new construction. Even for our public servants—firemen, police, teachers, service workers—there is little available, and as Jacobson pointed out, what is available is older housing lacking in quality of life amenities such as parks, sidewalks, etc.

In the past developers provided a wide price range in new construction, Woodlake being a prime example.

Under any circumstances we cannot simply assert that there is ample affordable housing available today. We should be planning for the future, including planning for an increasingly diverse population. For example, what useable housing will be available to a growing aging population?

A two-year old Virginia Tech study asserts that demand is projected to grow by the thousands, will supply is not increasing.

Municipalities can address the issue in their comprehensive plans if they have the courage (of course, first it has to hit their radar). For example, why couldn’t cluster homes include a certain percentage of affordable units? This might be done by eliminating some interior “luxury amenities” while maintaining a uniform exterior. But there should be incentives, whether in the form of tax credits, interest free loans of by other means, and whether it is for new construction, redevelopment or for encouraging investors to set aside some properties for section 8 housing.

A news release from HUD reports that Chesterfield received over $2,000,000 in grants to address the affordable housing issue. Has anyone seen a report of how those funds have been used?

There are solutions if we have the will to find and create them. To be fair, citizens have to work with the county and with developers to educate and influence our NIMBY neighbors.

From South of the James

Just one week after the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Michael Paul Williams gives credit to Chesterfield for out-stripping Henrico on racial inclusiveness in county leadership, the county’s School Board hired Dr. Marcus J. Newsome away from Newport News to head up the county’s schools. An African American, Newsome replaces Dr. Billy Cannaday, the county’s first black superintendent and Gov. Kaine’s choice to oversee the Commonwealth’s school. Well, well, well, I know that our county’s top leader has the last name “King,” but…

Seriously, this looks like another excellent hire who will continue down the path of high-quality leadership and high performance set forth by his predecessors and adding his own wrinkles. The county has one of the better school systems in the Commonwealth, which makes it a magnet for families moving into the region. Coming right after the Board of Supervisors made a great choice for the Midlothian District’s interim term, Chesterfield’s leaders seem to be on a nice run as of late.

From South of the James

In a move that probably raised a few eyebrows in these parts, The Times-Dispatch’s Michael Paul Williams gave a nod to Chesterfield’s apparently progressive record in municipal hiring. Contrasting the county’s experiences with the on-going controversy surrounding Henrico’s heavily-white government leadership, the Times-Dispatch columnist held that

“Jesse Mayes, Chesterfield County’s first black supervisor, gained his election in 1984 without the benefit of such a lawsuit. Today, 10 of the 88 senior managers in Chesterfield County are minorities, or 11.4 percent. Given Chesterfield’s smaller minority population, its hierarchy is more representative. They’ll deny it, but somewhere south of the James, folks are suppressing giggles. Chesterfield, despite surpassing Henrico in population, continues to sustain the most hits in the image war with its seemingly more sophisticated suburban cousin. We’ve kicked Chesterfield around quite a bit over the years — who could resist all the ammo they provided? But maybe we owe them an apology. Billy K. Cannaday Jr. was its school chief before his recent elevation to state superintendent of public instruction. Chesterfield also has a black deputy county administrator and assistant county administrator.”

In the course of the column, Williams manages to do two interesting things. First, he acknowledges that conventional wisdom about Chesterfield being a bastion of unrepentant lily-whiteness and minority exclusion is not quite on-point. The county has a diverse population, including upwards of 60,000 African Americans. Put another way, Chesterfield has one of the largest black communities within any individual jurisdiction in Virginia.

Second, Williams acknowledges that the RTD has been somewhat unkind to Chesterfield at times. The perception of an anti-Chesterfield bias is one that county leaders and residents have held for years, and Williams’ column validates their sentiments. With Chesterfield having some of the region’s highest household incomes, one has to wonder if this is an example of the RTD shifting its editorial and reporting policies to match its market. Maybe seeing 75,000 (and counting) homeowners as current and potential new readers makes picking on the region’s highest-wealth homes less appealing.

It will be interesting to see if the RTD’s product reflects Williams’ newfound revelations going forward. If so, it will signal real change; if not, it will just be status quo. At any rate, with this mea culpa in black and white, I can imagine Greg Pearson laughing up a storm somewhere in Chesterfield.

This blog is meant to be a central gathering place for online discussions among citizens and leaders in Chesterfield. As commentary here is not endorsed by the RGAC unless otherwise noted, Open Forum is designed as a place where writers and comment-makers can individually express their own personal views. To that end, the bulk of Chesterfield-centric writings featured on South of the James will be moving to Open Forum.

The reaction to the Barber posts, as well as, the political fallout that followed demonstrated that Chesterfield residents are itching for a place to tell it as they see it. Moving the county-focused blog postings to Open Forum will accomplish as least two goals. First, it will generate more readership for this blog, leveraging the existing following that South of the James has developed. Second, it will further reinforce the RGAC’s status as an organization accepting of diverse viewpoints as a means of shaping local government and raising the quality of life in Chesterfield County.

As a first step in this experiment, here are some links and abstracted titles from recent blog postings from South of the James regarding Chesterfield politics and policy.

Chesterfield Democratic Reactions to BOS Appointment Process
Midlothian District Politics
Local RTD reporters profile South of the James