Independent guns for both city council, commission

Independent City Council candidate Andrew Williams has decided to place his eggs in multiple baskets.
While still running as a write-in candidate for the Nov. 3 election, Williams has also applied for a spot on the Charlottesville Planning Commission, a seven-member board that advises the City Council on matters such as sound development, land use, transportation and the development of the city’s Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvement Program.

“Ultimately, I want to serve Charlottesville. It doesn’t really matter the fashion,” Williams said.
Williams, 23, originally sought to appear on this year’s ballot as an independent, but he did not garner the required number of petition signatures. Independent candidates for elected office in Charlottesville must collect 125 signatures from registered city voters and complete other necessary filings.
The day after the June 9 filing deadline, Williams announced his decision to campaign as a write-in candidate. The four official candidates for the City Council in November are Democrats Dave Norris, the current mayor, and Kristin Szakos, and independents Bob Fenwick and Paul Long. Two seats on the council are up for grabs.
“I think he’s probably just interested in getting more involved in the community,” Councilor Julian Taliaferro said of Williams’ decision to seek either post.

Taliaferro lost his party’s nomination in May during the Democrats’ unassembled caucus.
As with all board and commission appointments, the Planning Commission’s members are interviewed and chosen by the City Council, and recommendations voted on by the commission are ultimately considered by councilors. While there are state statutes that prohibit dual office holding in local government, City Attorney Craig Brown said there are exemptions to that rule, one of which applies to planning commissions.
Brown said that according to state law, one member of a planning commission could be a member of the locality’s governing body. Attempting to fill each position also does not pose any legal conflict, he said.
“You can pursue both at the same time,” Brown said.
Williams said that any decision about his City Council campaign would be made independently of the outcome of his Planning Commission application. If he was appointed, he does not see why that would force him to stop his council campaign.
“It’s not contingent upon me applying for that position,” he said. “Both interests are sincere. I want to finish what I start.”

Two spots are open on the Planning Commission — city residents Cheri Lewis’ and Mike Farruggio’s terms officially ended this month. Lewis served two terms, for a total of eight years, and Farruggio decided to not apply for a second term.
Williams said that planning shapes Charlottesville’s near and distant future, and he wants to keep focusing on working for the city.
“That’s why I made the decision,” Williams said. “I don’t want to use this energy on something that won’t help others.”

He added that since he shifted his City Council campaign to that of a write-in candidate, the response he has received from city residents has changed.
“I definitely feel the need to use a different approach,” he said.
Williams said he would re-evaluate his campaign next month, and at that point would decide whether he should remain in the race or bow out. Williams said he speaks with residents on a daily basis as a part of his campaign and has been going door to door roughly once per week with the exception of the last week and a half. He has not yet held public events, apart from personal campaign announcements, but said he would start next month.
“I’m still pressing forward, and I still believe it can be a successful election, currently,” he said.

Others being interviewed for the two vacant spots on the Planning Commission are Dillon Franks, Alec Gosse, Lisa Green, Bonnie Liss Holmberg, Kurt Keesecker, Gloria Rockhold, John Santoski and Anthony Waterfield. The City Council will announce the new appointments at its meeting Monday.
“We’ve had some really good candidates,” Taliaferro said. “It’s going to be kind of hard to choose.”