Sunday, October 18, 2009
Editorial: Four for Blacksburg Town Council
Anderson, Sutphin, Newcomb and Bush are the best of nine (plus one) candidates.
From the RoundTable blog
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Blacksburg faces a defining moment. On Nov. 3, four of town council's seven seats are up for grabs, and nine candidates seek voters' support. The candidates have staked out a range of positions on the issues confronting the town. If a coherent group of them emerges victorious, they would instantly have a majority and could implement their vision.
We recommend voters choose Susan Anderson, Michael Sutphin, Cecile Newcomb and John Bush.
Anderson is the only incumbent seeking re-election. Two of her colleagues, Al Leighton and Tom Sherman, chose not to run again. The fourth seat belonged to Derek Myers, who died in February. The fourth-place finisher next month will serve the two years remaining on the term.
It would be risky to place four newcomers on council. The job has a learning curve, and four people with no previous experience could cause plenty of unintentional harm before they master it. Returning Anderson is the only way to ensure some continuity and a majority that knows how to conduct business at town hall.
Not that incumbency is the only reason to vote for Anderson. She has proved to be a thoughtful councilwoman. Her preparation shows during discussions, and even if one disagrees with her, one cannot help but respect her and the positions she takes.
She also has done well as chairwoman of the downtown revitalization committee. Downtown remains a work in progress, but it is moving in the right direction.
After the sole incumbent, we recommend Michael Sutphin. Several candidates this year hope to act as a bridge between the town and campus, but he is best positioned to do so.
Sutphin graduated from Virginia Tech three years ago and now works for the university. That means he is still young enough to understand and have ties to students but is also old enough to have become a full member of the community. Unlike other student candidates, there is little concern he would leave after graduation in search of employment before his term expires.
Nor is he a one-trick candidate. Sutphin demonstrates a firm understanding of the issues. He clearly has been paying attention when he attends council meetings and has done his own research.
His approach to governing is collaborative. For example, he is a strong proponent of trails and bike lanes, but he prefers the town work closely with developers to install more of them.
Next we recommend Cecile Newcomb, who was born and raised in town. Of all the candidates, except Anderson, she has the most experience in town government. Her previous service includes a dozen years on the Townscape Committee plus stints on the Planning Commission, Long Range Planning Committee, and the Housing and Community Development Advisory Board.
She approaches the job with less a grandiose agenda and more a journeyman's ethic to do right by her home town. During our interview with her, she frequently returned to the theme of welcoming and serving retired and empty-nest residents. She envisions homes for them on the Old Blacksburg Middle School property, for example.
Finally, we recommend John Bush. He, too, has experience in town government. Since 1999, he has been chairman of the Historic or Design Review Board. He also has headed the 16 Squares Subcommittee.
A professional architect who trained at Tech, he is passionate about protecting the historic structures that survive at the heart of town. Few people have as much knowledge about those buildings as he. His depth of understanding would inform many council discussions.
He also has a refreshing regional view. Bush recognizes the flow that occurs between Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Montgomery County. He hopes to strengthen it with better physical and intergovernmental connections.
On many of the issues confronting the town, the positions of the candidates we recommend overlap. They all believe the town must work with Tech on getting the school to pay the town meal and lodging taxes, though not on student meal plans. None would rush into growth and development for its own sake. And all believe in open government informed by and accessible to the people.
A 10th candidate will appear on the ballot and merits mentioning. We had planned to endorse Paul Lancaster, despite lingering questions about his health. When he ceased campaigning, though, we could no longer in good conscience recommend him to voters.
Voters can confidently cast their ballots for Anderson, Sutphin, Newcomb and Bush.
