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Candidates speak in Spotsylvania

October 8, 2003 1:10 am

More than 100 people turned out last night to hear from the crowded field of candidates seeking offices in Spotsylvania County.

The Spotsylvania County branch of the NAACP, the Fredericksburg Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Sorority and the Spotsylvania Education Association sponsored the forum at Courtland High School.

Audience members submitted written questions, most of them directed to candidates in contested races. Time did not permit all of the questions to be answered.

Only two of the four men running in contested 88th District House and 17th District Senate races showed up for the forum. Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, and Robert Stuber, a Republican challenging Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, did not attend, and no explanation was given for their absence.

Houck said last night's forum was the fourth Stuber has missed. "It seems like a pattern is developing here," Houck said. He encouraged the public to ask Stuber why he wasn't there, a suggestion that drew applause.

The candidates for commonwealth's attorney, incumbent Bill Neely and Republican challenger Phil Fines, fielded the most questions during the forum's first 45-minute segment.

Fines, a prosecutor in Fredericksburg, criticized Neely's use of plea bargains to settle criminal cases. He said deputies have expressed frustration when defendants charged with a several crimes plead guilty to one.

Neely said his office uses "plea agreements the same as any office does." He said 80 to 90 percent of criminal cases nationwide are settled with plea agreements.

Chuck Feldbush, a Democrat challenging Cole, did not receive many questions. But he said reducing the size of classes should be a state priority.

"Teachers can't teach 29 kids in an elementary class," Feldbush said. "I don't care who you are."

All 13 people running for the Board of Supervisors attended last night's forum, and it took them 25 minutes to introduce themselves. That left time for a limited number of questions directed to individual candidates; some candidates were asked no questions.

Most of the questions were related to the rapid residential growth in the county and the impact it has had on traffic, taxes and schools.

Many of the incumbent supervisors expressed pride in steps they have taken to manage growth. But their challengers offered an opposite appraisal.

Lee Hill District challenger Vince Onorato blamed growth problems on "obedient supervisors with no foresight." He asked residents to decide if the county's quality of life had improved during his opponent Mary Lee Carter's 14 years in office and answered by saying the district needs a change.

In her closing remarks, Carter said, "I will not attack anyone." She said she has voted against two residential rezonings and supported a park project and commercial rezoning that eliminated 800 homes.

She explained her support for Lee's Parke and its nearly $30 million road proffer. "We had to move traffic. We had to have commercial," Carter said. "The only way to have that was to have more residential growth. I'm sorry to say that, people, but that's the way it is."

Battlefield District challenger Chris Yakabouski criticized the board's decision to approve a rezoning for Lee's Parke subdivision that will bring more than 2,000 more homes to the Massaponax site than could have been built by right.

His opponent, incumbent Benjamin Pitts, defended his record on growth. He pointed to his vote to implement proffer guidelines and said the county collects more proffer dollars per unit than any other locality in the region.

Pitts also defended the board's vote on Lee's Parke. "Lee's Parke will stop and control growth in other parts of Spotsylvania," he said.

Eight of the county's School Board candidates turned out for last night's event, which was co-sponsored by the Spotsylvania Education Association.

The seven who spoke during the forum addressed school crowding, collaboration with the Board of Supervisors, teacher salaries and improving academics.

Three board members are facing opposition in the Nov. 4 election. Gary Skinner is running against incumbent John Garnett in the Lee Hill district; Ray Lora is challenging board member Teresa "Missy" Alsop in the Livingston district; and Kimberly Fletcher is opposing Richard Fleming in the Courtland district. All were present last night.

Four board members--Lee Broughton, Martin Wilder, Marilyn Boren and Charles Cowsert--are running unopposed. Cowsert and Boren did not attend the forum.

Skinner, Alsop, Fletcher and Garnett said the School Board needs to plan for growth and future school construction through improved relations with the county's planners and Board of Supervisors.

"We build a school, and no sooner than we get it built, it's full," Alsop said, echoing the concerns of other candidates.

Fleming said if re-elected, he would work for more local control of schools and "less interference" from the federal government.

Lora, a former teacher in the county's schools, said the county needs to increase salaries to retain teachers.

Fletcher, who home-schools six of her seven children, also said she wants to give teachers "fair pay for their commitment." She said she doesn't believe taxes should be raised to achieve that end.

In addition to growth and funding concerns, the candidates addressed what's being taught in the county's classrooms.

Fleming said he wants to improve course content in major school subjects, while Alsop said she would work to expand the county's vocational programs.

Garnett said the board needs to examine course offerings in the schools to "provide appropriate educational opportunities."

His opponent, Skinner, emphasized expanding instruction on drug awareness.

To reach BETTY HAYDEN SNIDER: 540/374-5427 bsnider@freelancestar.com

To reach BETH WATERS HUNLEY: 540/368-5028 bhunley@freelancestar.com