Madison County candidates took turns answering a variety of questions at Monday’s candidate forum.
Hosted by the Madison County Electoral Board and moderated by Madison County Commonwealth’s Attorney Clarissa Berry, the forum featured both supervisor and school board candidates answering audience submitted questions. Four candidates are seeking election to three seats on both the board of supervisors and school board. They are supervisor candidates Jim Jewett, Mike Snider and Nancy Sharman with Clay Jackson running as a write-in and school board candidates Graham Davidson, Mitch Dickey, Lauran Gordon and Brittany Shankle.
The questions ranged from the simple “what are the top two issues that inspired you to run for office and how do you plan to address them” to the more complicated how will you balance and weigh the concerns of all involved on a lively issue for supervisor candidates and agreeing or disagreeing with the decision to ban books for school board candidates.
The supervisor candidates went first, answering six questions. Snider said he was inspired to run for office because the county has a lot of hurdles in front of it including attracting larger scale business while maintaining the rural beauty of the county. Sharman said residents have to remember their principles and prepare for the future while preserving the past. Jackson said preserving quality of life and protecting property rights are the top two issues which run together. He said economic development has to be balanced. Jewett said economic development has to happen, but also localities have to maintain control, something some state bills aim to remove.
All four candidates said Madison County’s current zoning ordinances are adequate, but continue to be improved. As for broadening the tax base, the candidates said businesses have to be brought in or taxes are going to increase. Sharman said small businesses within the county need to be encouraged and supported so they may grow. Jackson said it’s a challenge to bring in business and oftentimes ideas get shot down by residents, but some business growth has to occur in order to lessen the tax burden on residents. Jewett said the county has to consider various options and try to maintain a balanced approach to economic development. He said one inhibitor to having businesses come in is the school system isn’t performing as it should be. Snider said while folks don’t want business in their backyard, it’s needed. He suggested the possibility of creating an industrial park on county-owned land off Shelby Road or a chain hotel on U.S. 29.
When asked if the high school being ranked in the bottom 20% of Virginia schools is acceptable and should supervisors play a more active role in bringing about improvement, Jewett said it absolutely isn’t acceptable. He said while school spending is always a topic in education, it’s not necessarily the amount spent but how it’s being spent that is important. He said he’d like to see class sizes kept small, programs to support students and encourage parental involvement and having teachers feel supported in the classroom. Snider said increased teacher pay is important as is having available and affordable housing for teachers. He encouraged the school board to come up with ideas on how to correct problems. Sharman encouraged more concentration on reading, writing and arithmetic without screens. She also encouraged thinking more about dual enrollment so students can be completing college coursework in their junior and senior years. Jackson said SOL scores are going up, which is encouraging, but the board of supervisors’ job is to say what the school division can and can’t afford. He said the division does a good job prioritizing its needs.
As for what programs they would initiate or cut back, all four candidates said they couldn’t think of anything to initiate. Sharman said little things help with revenue such as attending high school games and utilizing alternative methods of housing such as short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts. Jackson said the government works on needs and not wants with the duty to provide essential services. Jewett said economic development has to be an area of focus and said the county could utilize smart development to snag a portion of the thousands who travel U.S. 29 each day.
When weighing and balancing opinions during lively debated issues like the recent Madison Hills special use permit, all four candidates said opinions are valued and heard. Jackson and Jewett said the opinions are balanced with the law and property rights. Sharman praised the current board for its respectfulness and encouraged speakers to also be respectful. Snider said some comments may be repetitive, but they all need to be heard.
School board
Following the candidates’ closing remarks, those seeking election to the school board took the stage. Dickey said the top two issues that inspired him to become a candidate is retaining high-quality staff and addressing the bus driver shortage. Davidson said academic achievement and budget efficiencies. Gordon said a lack of opportunities for students and a want to continue her community involvement and Shankle said creating a strong and supportive culture and retaining teachers without increasing budget.
Candidates gave two areas of improvement in order for schools to adequately prepare students for the future. Davidson said the school system has a culture problem. He said when the teachers, parents and students all trust and believe in one another the school system will be better which will lead to better opportunities for career and college readiness. He said he’d also like to see a co-located field house. Gordon said she’d like to see opportunities for students expanded and career and technical education (CTE) offerings to continue to be expanded. She said those courses offer students an opportunity to find their passion. She said she’d also like to see advisory boards established at each school that would attend board meetings and increase communication between the board and the schools. Shankle said she’d also like to see increased opportunities, especially CTE and elective-based options along with dual enrollment. She said she’d also like the schools to provide students with a strong base of mental and emotional well-being. Dickey said the schools have been expanding CTE and he wants to ensure those teaching are being retained. He also said there’s not enough opportunities for gifted students.
All four candidates said the school system is doing the best with what it has in terms of utilizing appropriated funds. Gordon said she’d like the school board to be more involved in the budget process with joint planning sessions with administration, going line by line to ensure the division is being good stewards of taxpayer money. Shankle said she’d like to see the turnover rate among teachers reduced and said it could be done with benefits and housing options. Dickey said the supervisors and school board have to communicate and come to a common solution to move the county forward. Davidson said the school system needs to be better than average. He said there needs to be a grant writer to focus on obtaining grant funding and leadership needs to engage with delegates to encourage more funding.
When asked what they would change, Shankle said students aren’t being given what they need. She encouraged bringing in community members to support students, having increased opportunities and creating an environment where all kids have a place and feel supported and taken care of. Dickey said teachers are stretched thin and can’t focus on individual children who need help. He said all positions need to be filled so kids can get the help they need. Davidson said character education would create a culture where students believe in themselves and set goals for themselves. Adults have to encourage and model those habits. Gordon said teachers are doing the best with what they have and class sizes need to be reduced. She said students need more one-on-one attention.
As for taking into account parental concerns while maintaining a curriculum for all students, Dickey said educating a child is going to take everyone from the top down being involved. Davidson said the board’s two main responsibilities are to hold the superintendent accountable and maintain a budget. He said the board can make sure it puts into place systems where every child comes to school with a full stomach and teeth brushed. Gordon said parents are responsible for their children and should take initiative in their children’s education, but raising a child takes a village. She said school advisory boards can help make everyone feel heard. Shankle said it’s a parent’s right and responsibility to be a partner in their child’s education. She said investing in parents and support programs will make a significant difference.
When asked if they agreed or disagreed with the current decision to ban certain books from school libraries, Davidson said the library at the high school is underutilized. He said the board has to find ways to revitalize how libraries are looked at and encourage children to have a thirst for knowledge. He said he doesn’t agree with having books that degrade the values of the community, but national level issues can’t be made into local problems. Some books that went out should have, he said, and some that did probably shouldn’t have. Gordon agreed that children need to have a thirst for knowledge again and return to books and reading. She said she thinks what’s available inside of schools should be age appropriate and culture appropriate, but fantastic things can happen through reading. Shankle said parents have to be partners in education and be involved in what their kids are reading. She said she’s currently reading through the banned book list to determine why the books were banned and the school board’s job is not to develop curriculum, but should work to hire and retain well-trained educators. Dickey said he’s against anything inappropriate in the library, but the books were likely a mixed bag with some likely being removed that shouldn’t have been. He also said sometimes battles are brought to Madison County that aren’t necessarily needed while the things that are in need of attention aren’t being focused on. He said the board should focus on what is happening in Madison County and use common sense to work with others to make better decisions for the entire group.
Early voting has already begun in Virginia. Anyone registered to vote is eligible to vote early. Ballots may be cast at a resident’s respective voter registration office. The Madison County Registrar’s Office is open for voting Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. Early voting is also held on two Saturdays–Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1 is the last day to vote early. Polls will be open for Election Day voting Nov. 4, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There is still time to register to vote. The deadline to register or update a registration is Oct. 24. This is also the last day to request a mail-in ballot.
The Madison County Registrar’s Office is located at 414 N. Main Street, Madison and can be contacted by phone at (540) 948-6533.
Registered voters can view their polling place, check their voting history, apply to vote absentee by mail and update their address online at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/Lookup/polling.
