Charles City candidates vie for citizens’ votes at public forum

Candidates vying for public positions in Charles City County were able to voice their views during a Friday evening debate at Charles City High School.

Sponsored by Charles City’s branch of the NAACP, approximately 250 citizens filled seats in the auditorium to hear platforms and ask questions to candidates running for local seats and positions.

The most competitive race in the county is expected to be for the position of sheriff. The three-person race will see incumbent Alan Jones Sr. being challenged by former sheriff Javier Smith and former Charles City Captain Jayson Crawley. All three presented their views and capabilities of holding the position.

“Once I’m elected, I will have a more aggressive to community policing,” said Crawley. “Community policing starts with the community.

“I want to develop that trust so that the community can come to us,” he continued. “My hiring as Captain to Surry County as the second in charge should show you my experience and trust to run the position [of sheriff in Charles City].”

“The sheriff’s office has made great progress,” said Jones. “I will continue to promote teamwork and professionalism in the sheriff’s department.

“We have developed positive interactions with the community,” Jones continued, speaking about programs such as the “Shop with the Sheriff.” “This isn’t just an elected position. It’s a passion for me.”

“I’m a dedicated public servant, and I learned loyalty not only to my profession, but to my community and the people of Charles City,” said Smith when he had the opportunity to speak. “During my tenure as the sheriff, we were able to build and implement programs.

“We had an aggressive and successful program to curve DUI and narcotics,” he continued. “Even when we weren’t successful, we were a deterrent. If I’m elected sheriff, we will make public safety a priority.”

In the battle for spots on the county’s board of supervisors, current District 1 representative Gilbert Smith spoke about doing things to assist with making the county grow.

“It’s been my pleasure to serve the county for over the last 28 years and I’m not tired yet,” he said. “All things that the board does has pros and cons, and we have to continue to find creative ways to find funds for Charles City.

“I have the leadership and experience to lead this county into the future,” Smith added. “Let experience represent you.”

Challenging Smith is current school board District 1 representative and chairwoman Helen Payne-Jones, who used a daily affirmation to drive her campaign.”

“If you keep doing what you are doing, then you are going to keep getting what you’re getting,” she said, pointing to how broadband, lack of grocery stores, and underfunding of schools have persisted for several years. “We must do something different.

“I’m formulating a plan of my first 100 days in office,” Payne-Jones continued, responding to a question posed by a citizen. “I want to work with the new board members. We need to get to a place where we can get to common goals and not let egos get in the way of doing what’s best for this county.”

Running unopposed, District 2 supervisor Bill Coada spoke about the achievements the county has reached over the last eight years.

“This board hasn’t had to borrow money for payroll as previous boards have done in the past and we are in good standing with DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality),” he said. “We rebuilt our fund balance and we are now in the process of having paid firefighters.

“I want to instill a BPOL (business, professional, and occupational license) tax in this county,” Coada continued. “I can say that my colleagues on this board are not afraid of execution to get things done.”

In the race for the District 3 seat to the board of supervisors, incumbent Floyd Miles Sr. is looking to serve another term by pledging to move the county forward

“I’ll be there for you,” he said. “We’ve accomplished a lot as an administration. The intention is to keep moving forward and bring Charles City further than what we are now.

“Money is not the total answer to all the problems that come up,” Miles continued, speaking about how other candidates spoke about funding a variety of areas. “We must have collaborative methods of talking to each other and bringing things to fruition.”

District 3 challenger Lewis Black III stance reflected on building for the future with new strategies.

“There’s a lot of problems and not a lot of solutions in the county,” he said. “We have a lack of modern amenities and poor infrastructure.

“We should have open communication between the citizens, and I want to work with the school board to promote generational wealth,” Black continued. “The time to act is right now. We must revamp Charles City County. Change begins with you all, not me.”

Candidates running for Charles City school board seats provided commentary on their viewpoints for a brighter future. In the only contested race, District 2 heard words from incumbent Herbert Johnson and challenger Rodney Tyler.

“I want to make a positive impact. I want to bridge the gap between parents, students, employees, and the community at large,” said Johnson. “I take the opportunity to work with our students at all levels.

“Our students have obtained scholarships for their future education and we’re proud of their accomplishments,” he added. “There are 40 percent of the parents that we see and 10 percent of them are at the top of the course. We will continue to reach out, but we can’t pull all the parents in to help solve problems. But we must be doing something right if our kids are graduating with scholarships.”

Tyler said his intent is to raise the morale in the school.

“I am invested in the academic and athletic success of students,” he said. “I want to implement programs such as technical courses.

“I will keep all lines open and work with the board of supervisors,” Tyler added. “Charles City is a unique county and I’m willing and eager to represent District 2 and help all districts. I will encourage students that they can do whatever they can do except for fail.”

Joy Harris will be running unopposed for the District 1 seat to the county’s school board.

“I’m an active parent of the school system,” she said. “As your representative, I will educate you about the issues in the school system.

“I want to rethink education in creative and innovative ways,” she said. “We are public servants. We serve you and I want to serve you. Change nothing, and nothing changes.”

In District 3, Martha Harris will not have any formal opposition for the school board seat.

“I have been a board member for the last eight years and I continue to stay involved in the community,” she commented. “I believe in fairness and justice. I’m about the children in the school system.

“You get what you pay for, and if you want someone who is inexperienced, that’s what you get,” Harris said, referring to an inquiry about funds used on administration in the school system. “We need parental involvement and we must realize that the parents that we were are not the same parents that we are today.”

Preston Adkins will once again run for an at-large seat to the school board.

“I feel the need to help people,” he said. “I put myself in the position of the person that comes to me for help. If it’s a parent, an employee, or a student, I put myself in their shoes.

“I know our needs and sometimes when we try to do the things, we can to get those needs, we get blocked,” Adkins continued. “We try to get funding. We need nurses and assistant principals at both schools. But if we can’t get funds at the local level, we try to get it at the state level, and I am always making calls to get those things to happen.”

Another at-large candidate, Royce Paige, elected not to participate in the candidate forum.

In the race for treasurer, incumbent Mindy Bradby is being challenged by LaWanda Christian for the role.

“I have worked in the office for 17 years, enhanced the services, and have a collection rate of 96 percent with my team,” Bradby said. “Our office has had perfect audits from the state in the last eight years.

“I will continue to explore and collaborate with other departments, administer programs, and will continue to lead the treasurer’s office in a professional and courteous matter,” she concluded.

Christian believes her experience and knowledge from working in a variety of areas will make her a suitable candidate for treasurer.

“I have a Bachelor’s of Science in degree in accounting and I have worked as my church’s treasurer for the last six years,” Christian said. “I wish to bridge the communication gap between the treasurer’s office and the citizens of Charles City County.

“I want to promote growth for the county,” she added. “I have the educational experience, was a co-owner of a driving school where I handled the business an finances, and I believe I have the qualities for the position of treasurer.”

Deborah Fuhrman is challenging incumbent Denise Burrell Smith in the campaign to serve as the Commissioner of the Revenue.

“I am not a native of this county, but I love this place,” said Fuhrman. “While other parts of the county of being assessed, there is no assessment being done on businesses in the county.

“Who is checking the businesses in the county?” she asked. “We’re losing money and we’re not in the position to be affording that. Businesses aren’t being held accountable as they should be and if I am elected, I will close the gap.

Smith said that under her past leadership, her office has become the model for others in the state.

“I am responsible for maintenance of records, personal property, real estate, and business permits,” she said, pointing to the number of organizations she helps monitor during her duties. “We’ve done a lot in the past years, but I will never sit on my laurels.

“I will continue to improve customer services for you, the citizens,” Smith added. “We have been the pilot of programs and will continue to use innovation and technology to make improvements for the businesses and citizens of the county.”

Finally, in the race to serve as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Charles City, Wayne Orrell is once again challenging incumbent Rob Tyler.

“I have practiced law for 20 years and I have experiences that make me look at our community’s needs,” Orrell said. “Some of those needs are what’s making me run for office.

“I’m here to be a steward to you,” he continued. “I won’t be here just for the campaign. I want to be here year-round. I want to help educate the youth of the community to help them avoid the pitfalls of crime.”

For Tyler, he thanked the community for the support and looks to continue in his current role.

“I have spent the last 12 years being the Commonwealth’s Attorney and I continue to work hard everyday to guide criminal cases through the justice system,” Tyler said. “My goal is to continue to deter crime and give justice for victims of the crime while not being overly harsh to those who are convicted.

“The justice system is used to solve problems,” he added. “I will use the justice system in creative ways to drive healing in the county and will continue to look for new ways to handle things.”

Candidates also were the recipient of questions relating to their prospective roles before meeting constituents after the forum. Voters will head to the polls on Nov. 5.