The Shadow
Candidates for Alleghany County Board of Supervisors seats in Tuesday’s election participated in a forum Tuesday night at Clifton Middle School. From left, Clifton Forge West District Supervisor Carolyn Barnette, Clifton Forge East District Supervisor Suzanne Adcock and Virginia Gardner, a candidate for the C.F. West District seat, answered questions posed by the audience during the forum. The event was sponsored by the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. (Larry O’Rourke Photo)
Candidates for Alleghany County Board of Supervisors seats in Tuesday’s election participated in a forum Tuesday night at Clifton Middle School. From left, Clifton Forge West District Supervisor Carolyn Barnette, Clifton Forge East District Supervisor Suzanne Adcock and Virginia Gardner, a candidate for the C.F. West District seat, answered questions posed by the audience during the forum. The event was sponsored by the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. (Larry O’Rourke Photo)
•
•
LOW MOOR — Candidates for local elections in Alleghany County and Clifton Forge participated in a forum Tuesday night at Clifton Middle School.
Participating were two candidates seeking election to the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors Clifton Forge West District seat — Carolyn Barnette and Virginia Gardner, and Suzanne Adcock, who is running unopposed for re-election to Clifton Forge East District seat. A third candidate in the Clifton Forge West District, Richard Shull, was unable to attend due to medical reasons.
Also participating was Clifton Forge Town Councilman Robert Johnson, who is running unopposed.
Barnette, the incumbent in the three-way Clifton Forge West District race, said budgetary matters are the main issue facing the county.
“The state has cut nearly all of our funds, so we have challenges in meeting the requirements and services we are providing now” said Barnette, who has served on the board for 10 years. “State funds have been cut, so we are going to have some tough decisions what we keep and what we let go.”
Adcock, who is completing her first four-year term as a supervisor, agreed and said the county must focus on identifying new revenue streams.
Gardner, an Alleghany High School math teacher, said said jobs are the key to meeting the county’s needs.
“We need to make sure we are bringing in as many jobs as possible,” she said.
Hot topics related to Clifton Forge included water and sewer issues involving the county and town and the county’s funding to the Clifton Forge Public Library.
Water and sewer rates have been a controversial issue in Clifton Forge since they were sharply raised two years ago. The increases came after the town started utilizing a new wastewater treatment plant the county built near Iron Gate. The plant’s constructed was mandated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“I’d love to see our water bills go down in Clifton Forge. I’d love to see them go down,” Barnette said. “The problem is, we are paying for things now that were put off long ago.”
Adcock, who also resides in Clifton Forge, said utility rates in Clifton Forge have been thoroughly discussed by the board of supervisors the past two years. She said the problem is, water and sewer are designed to operate under a self-supported enterprise funded by users. Residents in other areas of the county are unwilling to pay higher rates “for the sake of helping Clifton Forge,” she said.
Gardner, however, implied that an equitable solution can be reached if the parties involved work together.
“There’s got to be a way to fix this,”she said. “If there are enough people who are willing, there is always a way.”
The candidates also debated funding to libraries in Covington and Clifton Forge.
The Charles P. Jones Memorial Library in Covington, which is classified as a regional library, receives more money from the county than the Clifton Forge Public Library.
Barnette said the funding discrpency relates to the fact that the C.P. Jones Library is a regional library. She also noted that when Clifton Forge reverted from a city to a town in 2001, an agreement between the two localities called for the library in Clifton Forge to remain a town function.
“We don’t have the money right now and I really don’t see us bringing the Clifton Forge library up to Covington’s funding level right now, because [C.P Jones is a regional library.”
Adcock agreed with Barnette and said cutting money from the C.P. Jones’s budget to give the Clifton Forge library more funding would cause C.P. Jones to lose state funding. Adcock noted that identifying new revenues may hold the solution but added: “It’s tough to come up with a little bit of money it today’s economy.”
Gardner formerly served as treasurer of Friends of the Clifton Forge Public Library.he said the Clifton Forge library receives $20,000 in annual funds from the county, while C.P. Jones receives $120,000.
“There needs to be a certain amount of equity and parity between the funding of the two libraries,” she said.
All three candidates touted regional cooperation between the local governments.
Barnette and Adcock openly supported merging the Alleghany County and Covington school divisions. Gardner gave a more cautious view.
Gardner said she has attending two meetings involving merger talks between the Covington and Alleghany County school boards.
“Nobody has been able to give me specifics yet on how it would be better for the kids,” she said.
Barnette said that merging the two school divisions will benefit taxpayers in both localities.
Adcock struck a similar theme saying, “with the number of school-age children we have in our community, one school system can handle all of the children.”
Even though Shull was unable to attend the forum, his wife, Barbara, read a brief statement on his behalf.
“He really wanted to be here tonight, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t be,” she said.
Shull pledged to hold regular community meetings in Clifton Forge and Selma if elected. He also pledged to regularly attend Clifton Forge Town Council meetings.
Johnson will be the only candidate listed for town council in Clifton Forge. The special election was ordered to fill the remaining year of Houff’s term.
“I’m very excited about being here,” Johnson said in a brief statement during the forum, “because I can spread the good news about the town of Clifton Forge.”
Johnson said unity is the center of his campaign platform.
“We are small in numbers but we all come together as one unit,” he said.
Two other Alleghany County Board of Supervisors’ seats will be decided by the Nov. 5 elections. Incumbent Steve Bennett is running unopposed in the Jackson River District. No candidates are listed in the Covington District. The seat will be filled via write-in votes.
Three races in Covington are also uncontested. Listed on the Covington ballot will be Treasurer Eunice Clark, Commissioner of the Revenue Cathy Kimberlin and District 2 Councilman Allan Tucker. Tucker, appointed to council this summer, is seeking election to fill the remaining year of former Councilwoman Kim Warlitner’s term.
