Tommorrow primaries will be held across various districts of Chesterfield County to nominate party candidates for the general election this Fall. The Bermuda District will nominate a Republican candidate to run against the Democratic nominee Ree Hart, while the Matoaca District will nominate a Democratic candidate to run gainst the nominee from last months Republican primary in Mark Tubbs.
If you live in the Bermuda District, there are two Republicans on the ballot tomorrow for your consideration. Dorothy Jaeckle, a representative on the County's Futures Committee has worked to the benefit of the county by working with the Council of PTAs as well as working with School Board officials addressing some of the county's most pressing issues. Her opposition is Jack Wilson, a Planning Commissioner from the Bermuda District and as a local attorney has a great deal of experience in urban planning and land use issues that face the County. Both nominees have been involved with the Chesterield Republican Committee.
If you live in the Matoaca District, there are two Democrats seeking nomination. Bill Hastings and Don Wilms square off tommorrow in an interesting contest in that both candidates have extensive experience in the area of education. Mr. Wilms is currently working as a high-school teacher in Chesterfield and Mr. Hastings retired after thirty years of service as a science teacher in the county and recently was a member of the Soil and Water Conservation Board. The dynamic of this debate is that both candidates have very distinct experience and visions for some of the major issues facing the county as a whole. Mr. Hastings involvement with Fire Services within the county, his service on the Water and Soil Conservation Board and the simple fact that he was invloved in the "growth" debate with the current Republican Supervisor in Renny Humphrey in the last election and narrowly lost to her in ehat has been described as a very "red" district. Mr. Wilms is addressing aot of current issues in terms of school overcrowding, growth and strategic planning , and one of the more interesting issues in this election year and that is the determination of the neccesity for more districts (ie additional Supervisors) within the County.
A few issues to consider:
1: The County spent 60 million on Cosby High and now faces a potential 80-90 million estimated cost to replace Clover Hill. There are currently two new middle and elementary schools under construction. In the event the County remains unable to keep up with growth would the nominee approve for funding for schools (43% of total budget) or simply offer the alternative of another bond referendum. **the 2004 bond of 230 million will not be enough to meet the gorwth requirements
2. In the event that it is determined that the County is unable to reduce the overcrowding of schools and cannot get support for another bond referendum, would you support raising the taxes placed on business fees or that of individual residents over reducing the rate of growth via planning.
3. Will the nominee make a committment that by 2014 Chesterfield County will not educate its children in make shift classrooms via trailers
4. Would the nominee support the increase of development cash proffers per lot to offset county services and asist with road construction costs *voted down by current Board* and eliminate the planning exemption of paid proffers to any development that is not deemed as "revitalization
5. Would the nominee seek direct oversight over how the School Board uses the funds that the Board provides for their budget. By "direct" does the nominee believe the Board canmandate what funds are or are not used for.
6. How would the nominee address the current transportation crisis with our roads and infrastructure and dependence on State funding resources
7. Chesterfield has seen a rise in crime as reported in the RTD from 2004 to 2006, especially in the area of robberies. How would the nominee address funding for police with the expansive growth rate the county is experiencing
8. How would the nominee seek to lessen the burden if any of "illegal" immigrants of the county services, ie social, health and police
9. Would the nominee support the requirement for the County to require all food service operators within the county to have at least (1) Certified Food Handler on premise at all times during operations in addition to raising the Food Safety Regulations fees
10. Does the nominee support the Upper Swift Creek Plan as it in its present form or should both the Board and Planning Commission use for time to create a more comprehensive growth plan
11. Would the nominee support the creation of (2) additonal Districts with the next census or before thus bringing the total number of members of the Board of Supervisors to 7 from the current number 5.
Chesterfield County Sheriff Race:
Republicans will nominate their candidate for Sheriff on Tuesday. the current sheriff, Dennis Proffitt faces a challege from Robert Poland and Garland Stafford within the Republican ranks. Mr. Proffitt assumed interim duties as Sheriff with the retirement of former Sheriff Clarence Williams. The Republican nominee will face the Democratic candidate Anthony Demay and two Independents in Kendrick Hall and Steven Neal.
Circuit Court:
Republicans will nominate eitherincumbant Judy Worthington or challenger Dennis Collins. Worthington with sixteen years on the job is heavily endorsed by the establishment, while Collins hopes to get the vote out with the people. Collins has been using the issue over the dispute between Worthington and Circuit Judge T.J. Hauler where it is Collins contention that Worthington cost taxpayers almost four hundred thousand dollars over a defammation of character suit filed by Hauler against Worthington.
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7 comments:
Your comment, "Both nominees have been involved with the Chesterield Republican Committee" regarding Jack Wilson and Dorothy Jaeckle does not reflect on either candidate well. Jack Wilson was the Chairman of the Chesterfield GOP during the 2000 Presidential election and during Cantor and Forbes first elections in 2000 and 2001. Jack has been working in the Republican trenches with grassroots activts. Dorothy Jaeckle just joined the Chesterfield County Republican Committee a few months ago. Jack Wilson will crush her in tomorrow's Republican nomination contest. Dorothy Jaeckle even ran an ad in the Chester Village News that invited Democrats and Independents to vote in the Republican nomination contest tomorrow, June 12, 2007. Dorothy Jaeckle is the first Republican in the modern history of the Chesterfield GOP to openly invite non GOP members into a Republican nomination contest. She will be rode hard and put away wet.
I think the comment that Dorothy Jaeckle "just joined" is not accurate. She has been involved with CCRC for almost just under two years and in fat worked the polls on lection day quite a few times for them. She has spent time on committee after committee working with our schools and Chesterfield future, while Jack Wilson has been content on supporting the developers. We saw this last month where the power structure of the Party backs the guy who will keep Chesterfield controlled by the interest of business and development and not the citizens.
I seen very little in way of signs for the Collins campaign against Worthington. I can't remeber the last time we had a different clerk. Collins has placed ads in the paper addressing the issue you raise though, but I think her name is like a brand in Chesterfield.
While I agree that Jack Wilson will most likely win the nomination rather easily, I think its more to do with the party elites being able to get access to more money than the opponents. It must be very difficult for Independents or lessor knowns within a party to get adequate funding to really have a true debate of the issues in the rhelm of the media. Most simply do not have the resources to do so and its a shame because those are the people that closest resemble the constituency.
It’s refreshing to know that at least one blogger out there is concerned with these basic issues in Chesterfield County. And I applaud your effort to communicate at least a modicum of information to the electorate prior to the primary.
Unfortunately, I imagine most county residents will vote out of vague name recognition, or based on the number of signs in the “sign war” encountered on the drive to the polls.
We have the government we elect and we have the government we deserve.
Having a district supervisor represent approximately 60,000 residents on average (and this is the best ratio of citizen to an elected representative at any level of government for a Chesterfield County resident), is indicative of the disconnect between government and the governed.
When there are more people at a Board of Supervisors meeting than there are at Hooters on a weeknight, then I will start to have some faith in the people to govern as our founders intended.
With the growth of the Internet and blogging in particular, I have some hope that power can be divested from the privileged few and that broader citizen participation will follow along with some attention to quality of life versus unfettered development for development’s sake.
Perhaps you might even consider how the Internet might be used to help better inform and motivate county residents to promote their own collective needs and values over the current special vested interests.
The idea that Jack Wilson would win "outright" did not seem to materialize too much did it "anonymous said"
Dear Anonymous,
Obviously you misunderstand the people of Bermuda District. WE prefer to vote for candidates who communicate with us personally. She has given all of us faith that local government is really about the PEOPLE not the PARTY machine.
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