It is officially campaign season in Christiansburg, with a mayoral election and determining three council members.
Christiansburg residents (just 25% of all registered town voters), directed that this May 4th election would be the last one (after the current Mayor and council "decided" to wait-and-see). Hence forth, all town council outcomes will occur in odd-numbered Novembers.
Official candidates Christiansburg voters can expect to see on the ballot include the following:
Mayor:
Richard (Dickie) Ballengee (I)
Meghan H. Dorsett
Council (three seats):
Dan Canada
R. Cord Hall
Steve Huppert
Brad Stipes (I)
Ernie Wade (I)
The New River Journal blog is generating interesting comments around this election, while A Tale of Two Burgs is posting candidate profile information.
What may be more interesting relates to a Roanoke Times editorial, on The Candidate Who Almost Wasn't. While not stated in the article, it has been confirmed this was relative to Christiansburg candidates (but not Dorsett, Hall, Huppert or Stipes).
If you visited the NRV HBA Home Expo this past weekend, visitors would have witnessed a slate of Christiansburg candidates present. Large signs for this slate of three are appearing at key points around town, showing significant financial backing -- and other commonalities: Each candidate has been around in one town leadership capacity or another for quite some time, and share membership in the local Kiwanis chapter. (Hah! Bet you thought this would be the three incumbents, right?)
The expo forum may also be notable since the home builders association advertised having a limited number of booths for "builders and vendors that serve contractors (including mortgage companies, landscapers and even decorators)".
Who would have thought that venue would include political candidates -- those whose primary focus is on Christiansburg land use and budget issues?
Voters are encouraged to visit a FOIA enabled web library to drill down into details of various Christiansburg council issues, or search this blog (using specific names or topics) to build their own knowledge about candidates and issues which have come before Town Council over the past several years.
Voters are encouraged to watch for dates of public forums where they may meet candidates in a one-on-one environment or hear them collectively respond to questions. This includes news coverage found in the News Messenger, Roanoke Times or online sources such as NRV Hub. Having these additional, independent and varied sources may be some of the best means voters have to form their own opinions.
Voters are discouraged from blindly accepting information received in unsolicited emails or in vague statements that "the internet" is wrong and bloggers are bad.
Be sure to talk to your friends and neighbors about this final May election in Christiansburg, and ask them to go vote May 4th at the armory (rather than what may be their normal polling place).