Entry 713 of 1039
By Think! Christiansburg On January 28, 2010 at 2:05 PM

The Town of Christiansburg is gearing up for its final May election.  Voters overwhelmingly opted to move the vote by referendum to odd-numbered years in November.  This means polling places won't change and will provide some cost savings and much citizen convenience.

Incumbents who have terms expiring August 31, 2010 include a first-term mayor and council member.  Richard "Dickie" Ballengee and council member Ernie Wade both have  announced their intentions to run again.  Incumbents Bradford Stipes and Ann Carter have not yet indicated their plans, while former Councilman Steve Huppert has thrown his hat into the ring. 

Another commonality for Ballengee and Wade is they are both longtime Christiansburg Kiwanis members.  Some citizens have the impression that the road to a council seat in Christiansburg means being a member of this group or a Planning Commission appointee (or, preferably both).  This non-profit civic organization should be recognized as the "grandfather" of the town's recreation programs, and has now assumed ownership from the county chamber of commerce of the Wilderness Trail Festival, which originated with downtown merchants 37 years ago.

In looking at current and past Town Council and/or Planning Commission appointees, readers might see why such a conclusion could be assumed.

Current PC Appointees Background Council Tenure Civics Exp. May '10 Elections
 Wayne Booth  Substitute Teacher, Semi-Retired  Yes Kiwanis  
 Mike Bryd  Vocational Teacher, Retired  No    
 Ann Carter  Business Operator, Retired  Current Library Board Undeclared
 Kevin Conner  Landscape Architect, Gay & Neel  No Kiwanis  
 Steve Huppert  School Guidance Counselor, Retired  Yes Relay for Life Declared
 Craig Moore,  Chair  Civil Engineer, Virginia Tech Facilities  No    
Past PC Appointees Background Council Tenure Civics  
 Michael Barber  Bank Branch Manager, Radford  Current Kiwanis Reelected 2008
 Dan Canada  Marshall Concrete  Yes Kiwanis Withdrew 2008
 Bob Poff  Realtor, Property Management  No    
 Steve Simmons  Bank Branch Manager,  Christiansburg  No Kiwanis  
 Brad Stipes   Civil Engineer, Private Company  Current   Undeclared
 Jim Vanhoozier  Moog, Retired  Current Kiwanis Elected 2008
 Ernie Wade  Moog, Retired  Current Kiwanis Declared
Other Council Members Background Council Tenure Civics  
 Richard Ballengee  School Principal, Retired  Mayor Kiwanis Declared
 Henry Showalter  Finance, Mortgage Products  Current Jr. Achievement Elected 2008


Although both men bring a combined 40 years of service to Christiansburg residents, both indicate there's still a lot they can do to make things happen.

The deadline for candidates to have their names appear on the May 4 elections is March 2.  Filing details may be found at the State Board of Elections website or by contacting the Montgomery County Office of Voter Registration.