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What would happen to the administration of justice if the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors chose to relocate their general district and circuit courts outside of downtown Charlottesville? That was the subject of a panel discussion held at the February 17 breakfast of the city and county Democrats.


"We came up with this topic a couple of months ago as we were kicking around ideas and really felt like what was getting lost in all this discussion was the impact moving the courts might have on on access to the courts, specifically for our most-marginalized residents," said Bekah Saxon, vice chair of the Charlottesville Democratic Committee.


The panelists were: Albemarle County Supervisor Liz Palmer; Charlottesville City Councilor Kathy Galvin; Mary Bauer, director of the Legal Aid Justice Center; and Palma Pustilnik of the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society. 


Palmer and her colleague Norman Dill have voiced their opposition to moving the courts in the past. However, in her remarks, Palmer sought to explain the motives of those on her board who have voted to study the idea.


"I think I can do this pretty clearly because I share some of the same concerns," Palmer said. "I weigh them differently."


Palmer said many city residents may not realize that each supervisor represents a specific district in the county. Charlottesville's five city councilors are all elected in one big district. Palmer's Samuel Miller District covers the southwest part of Albemarle including both urban and rural areas.


"The courts were one of the very first things on our plate when I got on four years ago," Palmer said. "We got a presentation from our then-county executive [Tom Foley] who presented a plan for moving the courts somewhere out in the county."


Palmer said one reason at the time included the possibility of lower capital costs, but a recent study has shown that not to be the case. Another reason would be to locate the courts in the county's population center.


"Also given was the idea that if you're going to put $35 million of taxpayer money, is it appropriate to spend that $35 million in the city?" Palmer asked. "Or is it appropriate to spend that money in the county? That is something that supervisors were really wrestling with."


In December, Council sent a letter to the Supervisors reiterating what the city is willing to do to keep Albemarle courts downtown. In response, supervisors agreed to place their process on hold until early March to allow for negotiations.


"The city has already committed $6.5 million in its capital budget to make the courts reality," Galvin said. The funding would go toward building a joint General District Court on the site of the former Levy Opera house. Both localities jointly acquired the property in April 2005.


Galvin said the city has also committed $10 million in its capital budget to build a new parking garage to serve the courts. In November 2016, Council agreed to spend $2.85 million on a lot at 9th Street and Market Street for this purpose. The same transaction for the Levy Opera House site also included the surface parking lot next door.


"It is not typical you will see a parking garage associated with a social justice issue, but in this case it really is," Galvin said. "We're committing 100 spaces -- and the county doesn't have to pay for it -- to build that parking garage to enable their project to occur."


Palmer said parking is critical for the county's ultimate decision.


"We feel we have to have some ownership over how that is used," Palmer said, adding that Albemarle officials want to ensure disabled have access to the courts.


The two other panelists focused on how a courts move would affect low-income individuals.


"We have met no one in the city or the county who is poor who thinks moving the courts is a good idea," Bauer said, adding having the two jurisdictions' facilities in the same place reduces the burden for those who are in court.


"I think

How does government currently work in Charlottesville? That was the general question posted to panelists Sunday at a forum cosponsored by Charlottesville Tomorrow and the League of Women Voters.



"People tend to look at local government to solve all community problems even though their powers are limited," said Bitsy Waters, a former Charlottesville mayor. "It's the job of [city] Councils to listen and figure out what they can and can't do.”



The event held at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Central Branch was the first of a series designed to educate newcomers to local politics on what’s come before and what could change.



"In the aftermath of the events in Charlottesville this past August, many citizens have asked us to hold educational programs that would inform citizens about how the local city government is structured today and how it might be structured in the future," said Kerin Yates, president of the League of Women Voters.



Richard Schragger, a professor of law at the University of Virginia, is the author of City Power: Urban Governance in a Global Age. He said citizens should understand both how local governments fit into our country's federal system as well as how localities are structured in Virginia.



"Often the folks that are exercising power are not in fact the elected officials of the city but are actually officials either in the state government or the federal government," Schragger said. "Cities all across the country are considered to be creatures of the state as a matter of federal Constitutional law."



Schragger said most localities across the country have a council-manager form of government such as Charlottesville. In this set-up, elected officials serve as a legislature that acts as an executive and sometimes makes quasi-judicial decisions such as those related to land use.



"We do not have a singular executive that exercises power," Schragger said. "The mayor is elected among the folks on the Council and that person speaks for the Council to the extent the Council wants them to do."



Since 2010, City Manager Maurice Jones has made decisions that in other U.S. localities would be the realm of an elected mayor. In Virginia, only Richmond citizens have what is known as a "strong" mayor.



"The city manager doesn't have political authority, but managerial authority," Schragger said. "It's a little bit confusing about who is supposed to do what in these kinds of systems."



Charles Barbour served as the first African-American mayor from 1974 to 1976. He was clear who had the power when he was an elected official.



"The buck stopped with the Council even though the city manager ran the city," Barbour said, who was served on Council from 1970 to 1978.



At the time, Barbour said Charlottesville was still coming out of state-sanctioned segregation and there was an opportunity for many changes. When Barbour joined Council in 1970, there was only one African-American on the school board, which was an appointed body at the time. He nominated a second person of color.



"That created a big stir because traditionally there was just one African-American on the school board," Barbour said. "If you look around today you have many things that have changed."



Barbour said African-Americans in the mid-20th century and before could only live in the heart of the city.



"Yet anyone could build a service station or garage next to African-American housing because that was the rule," Barbour said. "We changed those rules. We rezoned so that could never happen again."



Bitsy Waters was first elected to Council in 1988 and was made Mayor during her first term, just as has happened with current Mayor Nikuyah Walker,



"It was a steep learning curve," Waters said. "Lots of things have changed since then but our form of government is basically the same."



Waters explained that Councilors are elected in staggered terms to provide change as well a

Imagine there was a paved trail for walking and biking between downtown Charlottesville and Monticello, or a trail from Crozet to the University of Virginia.


Would people use them? What benefits might they provide? Who would oppose them? Whose property would they be built on?


Local planners and environmental organizations are initiating a conversation to take years of greenway and trail ideas from plans to reality.


“We have done a lot of planning in this community … and none of them are necessarily bad, but they are not all well integrated, and they don’t identify the low-hanging fruit,” said Rex Linville, of the Piedmont Environmental Council. “They are also not plans that are steeped in community support.”


Using a $180,000 grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the PEC and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission are convening community members in an approach they believe will yield results.


At an event Wednesday at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, attended by about 125 people, the PEC brought two greenway experts to Charlottesville to share some best practices.


Chuck Flink, president of Durham, North Carolina-based Greenways Inc., has authored a book on the subject and is a leading designer of greenway systems, having worked in more than 250 communities around the country.


“Greenways have greatly added life in the economies of many communities across America, and I submit that they really have become America’s new Main Street,” said Flink. “It’s where we go, when we slow down long enough, that we are not in automobiles and we are actually seeing people, greeting each other and exchanging pleasantries.”


Flink made the case that greenways have numerous benefits, including in the environment, education, mobility, social needs and the economy. He said the locations being discussed for greenway connections in Charlottesville, such as downtown to Monticello, cover distances that are very feasible for these projects.


As an example of good public engagement, Flink described in detail the 25-mile urban Wolf River Greenway, a project he is currently working on in Memphis, Tennessee. The $50 million project is a public-private partnership, with half the funding coming from private sources.


“This has been a project that’s been on the books for over 30 years but they couldn’t really move it off dead center,” Flink said.


***


When he asked city officials in 2014 about the public engagement process to date, he discovered a major challenge.


“They said, ‘We haven’t done any public engagement. We don’t want to do any public engagement. We don’t want to know what our residents think about this greenway because we think it’s going to be very controversial,’” Flink said. “I said, ‘Well, we are going to do public engagement.’ We spent nine months and spent a lot of money and a lot of time going out doing a whole series of meetings.”


Beyond traditional planning charrettes, Flink specifically sought to engage residents in their neighborhoods and at their community events. In his work around the country, he sees similar challenges.


“You are going to face a lot of opposition,” said Flink. “You are going to face people who don’t understand why you are doing this, why they should be involved, why their land has to be committed to this. But at the end of the day, the experience that we have all across America is that these are very, very positive facilities and resources.”


Linville said he thinks a similar approach to community engagement will be important in Charlottesville, as greenways here would cross diverse neighborhoods with different needs, interests and concerns.


“If we are moving forward to implementation of a greenway system, of a bike and pedestrian network, it needs to be something where the people have buy-in and that they have given input so that system is something t

Republican John Lowry is a candidate for the Samuel Miller District seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.  Three of the six seats on the board will be determined in the November 7 election. Other candidates in this race include: Liz Palmer (D). 


Each candidate was interviewed by Charlottesville Tomorrow and asked 10 questions about their qualifications, priorities and important quality of life issues.  Included in the box at the right are links to the full transcript and audio recording of those interviews.






Bio: John Lowry has lived in Albemarle County for more than 40 years. He met and married the former Nancy Feil at the College of William & Mary. His 35 year career of managing investment securities included branch management, registered advisor status, teaching and sharing his industry connections with others. Besides his family and professional duties he volunteered for many community groups. As Chair or President of these groups he gained experience in team management and patient, orderly meetings. His local government knowledge is extensive. With this track record he feels prepared for election.


Education: BA 1969 College of William and Mary


Current Occupation: Currently retired . 


Previous political experience: Chair of Joint Airport Board, Chair of Economic Development Authority and Chair of Board of Equalization as well as an Election official (assistant Chief).


Age on Election Day: 70


Neighborhood: Resident of North Garden, Red Hill School Road


Hometown: Grew up in Williamsburg, VA


Family: Besides my wife, a Charlottesville native, we have three children and six grandchildren. My two


sons are Drs. – one a physician and one a college professor (PhD). My daughter is smartest of all– a Chapel Hill NC graduate.


Interests: I am a runner, boater, singer, bagpiper, golfer and I do what is requested of me around home.


Phone number : 434 296 4695


Email: johnlowry@lowryforalbemarle.com


Website: LowryforAlbemarle.com


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Democrat Liz Palmer is a candidate for the Samuel Miller District seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. Three of the six seats on the board will be determined in the November 7 election. Other candidates in this race include: John Lowry (R).


Each candidate was interviewed by Charlottesville Tomorrow and asked 10 questions about their qualifications, priorities and important quality of life issues.  Included in the box at the right are links to the full transcript and audio recording of those interviews.


 


 






Bio: Dr. Palmer is a veterinarian, small business owner and mother who has been deeply involved in local civic and environmental issues for 20 years. She has represented the Samuel Miller District on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors since 2014. She also currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, the Albemarle County Broadband Authority, and the Charlottesville Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization. She lives in Ivy with her husband, Herb Stewart, and their dog Alice. Her children, now grown, all attended Albemarle County Public Schools.


Education: Va Tech: BS and Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine: DVM



Occupation: Veterinarian self-employed mobile veterinary practice


Previous political experience: Board of Supervisors 2014 to present, Albemarle County Service Authority 2006 through 2013


Age on Election Day: 62



Neighborhood or area of residence: Ivy


Hometown: Grew up primarily in Virginia and Delaware


Family: Herb Stewart husband. Children Clay, Ben, Matt, Bailey all went to Albemarle County schools. They are now grown and doing well.


Other interests and experiences: Spending time with family, hiking, camping and studying macroeconomics, herpetology, and most science related topics.


Website: lizpalmerforsuperivsor.vote


Email: lizpalmerforsupervisor@gmail.com


Telephone: 434-964-7876


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Democrat Ned Gallaway is a candidate for the Rio District seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. Three of the six seats on the board will be determined in the November 7 election. Gallaway is running unopposed.  


Each candidate was interviewed by Charlottesville Tomorrow and asked 10 questions about their qualifications, priorities and important quality of life issues.  Included in the box at the right are links to the full transcript and audio recording of those interviews.


 






Bio: My interest in serving on the Board of Supervisors is about Moving Albemarle Forward. My vision of moving forward includes a focus on three top priorities: public education, public safety, and smart, sustainable economic development. The residents of Albemarle rightly have strong expectations to sustain a high quality of life and I’m running to ensure that it’s protected and enhanced in the coming years.


Education: BFA Ohio University, 1996 EDD The Curry School, UVA 2014



Occupation: General Sales Manager, Mercedes Benz of Charlottesville


Previous political experience: At Large Member Albemarle Co School Bd, 2011-15; Chair, 2014-2015 Albemarle County School Long Range Planning Advisory Committee, Rio District Member, 2011 Albemarle County Parent Council, Agnor Hurt Rep, 2010-2011


Age on Election Day: 43



Neighborhood or area of residence: Dunlora


Hometown: Wheeling, WV


Family: Wife - Julie; Daughters - Kaitlyn (16); Maggie (11); AJ (8)


Other interests and experiences: Reading, kayaking, spending time w family, watching my kids play sports (soccer, field hockey, baseball), attending UVA Women's Soccer games 


Website: www.nedgallaway.com


Email: gallawayforsupervisor@gmail.com


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