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Republican challenges incumbent for Chancellor District supervisor seat in Spotsylvania Date published: 6/17/2003
Claude Dunn decided it was time for him to run for office. "I got tired of supporting people I couldn't support 100 percent," said Dunn, 62, who is challenging incumbent Hap Connors for the Chancellor District seat on the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors. Both men applied for appointment to the seat when Tricia Lenwell resigned in December. Connors was the board's pick. Dunn, a Republican, has helped the local party recruit candidates and realized he could not ask others to run for office unless he was willing to do so himself. "If I really want the principles of freedom on the board that I believe in, then I have to run," he said. Through the years, Dunn has appeared before the board to speak on the budget, taxes and rezoning cases. He often quotes the U.S. and Virginia constitutions and the Declaration of Independence, and said people need to remember the purpose of government. "The core of it is to protect our life, liberty and property," he said. When government steps beyond that mission, it is moving in the wrong direction, Dunn said. He supports privatizing some county services, which would shrink the size of government and could save taxpayers money. Other than the courts and Sheriff's Office, Dunn said every other county function could provide an opportunity for privatization. Roads, which are built and maintained by the state, could also be built by the private sector, he said. The county should take an active role in planning for future road needs. Growth is a major issue in Spotsylvania, and Dunn said "the developer needs to pay his own way." If a developer proposes a project that is revenue neutral or positive for the county, a rezoning application should be approved, he said. Dunn strongly believes in a property owner's rights. "If he doesn't control [his property], he doesn't own it." Dunn spoke in favor of the controversial Town of Chancellorsville project, telling board members to approve it if the project would pay for itself. From what he saw and heard, "it looked like a real opportunity," Dunn said. Supervisors, including Connors, ultimately rejected the project, which would have put nearly 2,000 homes on a farm on State Route 3.
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