Independent Waynesboro Council candidates say they want more public engagement
Three of the six candidates running for Waynesboro City Council in next Tuesday's election offered their priorities and plans for the city — and what sort of support they'll need from their neighbors to accomplish their goals — at a forum hosted by the Rise Foundation, a social justice-minded nonprofit organization, Wednesday night.
Waynesboro needs two things, candidates agreed: a long-term vision for the city to move forward and better communication with city residents.
Ward B candidate Terry Short, currently serving as the at-large representative on Council, attended the forum, as did Ward A candidate Lorie Strother and at-large candidate Bobby Henderson, who previously served on Council from 2018 to 2022. All three are running as independents.
The three face a trio of Republican candidates who were not present Wednesday night. Those candidates are David Goetze in Ward A, Will Flory in Ward B and Jeremy Sloat for the at-large seat.
Short, who has served on Council for 8 1/2 years, told the audience Wednesday night that he sought to shakeup what he saw as a static Council when he first took office.
"I was sick of living in a community with no vision, no plan for itself,'' he said.
That changed, he said, when more than 400 residents offered input for the 2018 rewrite of the city's comprehensive plan, a legally required document in Virginia that guides a city's future development. Short said the tangible results since then, including better pay for police, firefighters and teachers and more city recreational opportunities, indicate real progress in Waynesboro.
"Outside of housing and housing affordability, our community has stepped up,'' Short said.
The incumbent councilman said he also has heard from residents directly on policy matters that have driven his decisions while in office, such as tax relief for the elderly.
Henderson was blunt in expressing what needs to change in Waynesboro.
"Now we have a council whose only focus is on a very low tax rate," he said.
Henderson recalled how he and Short visited all of the city's businesses, when the former was last in office, and asked them what they needed. That sort of input, Henderson said, is helpful to City Manager Mike Hamp to build his yearly budget. Long-range planning, he said, is absolutely necessary.
"Don't just plan for tomorrow,'' said Henderson.
That includes planning for the city's high school, which has reached the second, and most expensive, phase of its renovation. Plans call for a new classroom wing and a new gymnasium.
Being on Council is about commitment, Henderson added. He said that while his email and telephone number will be listed online if elected, that isn't enough: He will have to follow through when contacted.
"I have to answer the phone. That's how we stay connected. You listen, are available and responsive,'' he said.
Strother has lived in the city for more than three decades, but before that she was homeless in the neighboring state of North Carolina. So she has empathy for Waynesboro's homeless, she said.
"I know what it is to struggle,'' said Strother, who today holds two college degrees, works for the University of Virginia and owns a small business.
Strother said addressing the immediate needs of the homeless is not enough and pointed to the city's lack of a permanent shelter for the unhoused.
If elected, Strother would form a committee of Ward A residents "to meet, to hear complaints and issues."
"This would offer an outlet to talk to me,'' she said.
The candidates also touched on the importance of public service.
Both Short and Henderson said public service is available to anyone who makes the commitment to doing it.
"You can do whatever you want. You can be president, if you put your mind to it,'' said Henderson, who was determined to become a Virginia state trooper when he was younger and spent more than two decades in that job.
Short said "what you need to run for public office is a heart."
Wednesday's forum was moderated by Rise co-founder and CEO Sharon Fitz. Rise, founded in 2018 to support the Black community, provides after-school and summer academic assistance to local young people. Rise scholars range in age from kindergarten to high school. There is a substantial library at the Rise headquarters on Ohio Street.
Short thanked Fitz and Rise co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Chanda McGuffin for Wednesday's event. He noted that it has been a quiet 2024 Waynesboro election season. The Wednesday forum marks the only such event in the city this fall. Meanwhile, Short said Staunton residents have had several opportunities to hear the views of Staunton City Council and the Staunton School Board candidates.
Bob Stuart (540) 932-3562 on X Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
