Local races decided across Central Va.

ORANGE

Shannon Abbs, a challenger, appeared Tuesday night to have defeated Mark Johnson for his seat on the county’s Board of Supervisors by a margin of just five votes, and another incumbent was defeated soundly.

Abbs had 651 votes for the District One seat to Johnson’s 646. Andy McWilliams trailed with 294, and there was one write-in.

Abbs, who volunteers at the county Sheriff’s Office and is a political newcomer, said she would work to make the county more pro-active about problems it faces and more small-business-friendly.

Johnson, a 10-year veteran of the board, touted his experience as a help in a time of tough budgets. He also said he’d work to fix what he calls a radical subdivision ordinance.

Incumbent Teri Pace and challenger Ronald Matalavage lost to Grover Wilson, who had previously spent 14 years on the board.

In District Four, Wilson had 1,378 votes to Pace’s 612. Matalavage received 324 votes, and there were five write-ins.

Pace had cast the election as a referendum on the future of Orange County and said she favored more emphasis on historical, agricultural and cultural tourism instead of conventional retail development.

Wilson, a farmer who owns a towing outfit, said the county needs another high school. He also said the county should shift focus away from new middle schools.

The only contested School Board contest, for District Four’s seat, went to incumbent Jerry Bledsoe by a margin of roughly 2 to 1. He received 1,442 votes to challenger Todd Hensley’s 719. There were six write-ins.

Also tasting the thrill of victory Tuesday night were Louis Thompson, who was running for the District One seat, and Teresa Carroll, the incumbent clerk of court. Neither faced opposition.

Thompson, who ran a campaign as if he had an opponent, had 1,264 votes and there were eight write-ins.

Carroll had 7,691 votes, and there were 43 write-ins.

GREENE

Stanardsville voters returned incumbent Supervisor Clarence “Buggs” Peyton to the Greene County Board of Supervisors.

Peyton, an independent, is finishing up a four-year term as a supervisor and served on the board in the 1980s, as well.

“The Board of Supervisors must act responsibly, refrain from increasing taxes and piling on to an already stressfully burdened situation,” he said prior to the election. “There should be no tax increases to make up for state allocation shortfalls and [we should] absolutely avoid any attempt to tax and spend our way out of this recession.”

Peyton defeated independent candidate William B. “Bill” Martin, winning 791 district votes to Martin’s 690.

“The current [board] has made tremendous improvements in the county’s financial status,” Peyton said. “The past practice of living from payday to payday is no longer acceptable.”

Incumbent Supervisor James F. Frydl, an independent from the Ruckersville District, returns to the board after running unopposed in the election.

Also returning to office are School Board members Jason K. Collier and Michelle Flynn, from Stanardsville and Ruckersville, respectively, who also ran unopposed.

FLUVANNA

Marvin F. Moss, the chairman of Fluvanna County’s Board of Supervisors, won’t be serving another term as an independent in the Columbia District. Challenger and independent Shaun V. Kenney won the race, 544-506.

Kenney said he was ecstatic about the win.

“Obviously, the small margin of victory is noted, but I represent everyone who voted at the polls today,” Kenney said.

Kenney, who is a political blogger and executive director of the pro-life American Life League, said he plans to reach out to voters in the months before he takes office to educate them about the county’s finances. The move is part of his campaign promise for more open government in the county.

Moss could not be reached for comment for this story.

Cunningham incumbent Donald W. Weaver will serve his sixth term as supervisor, beating challenger Keith B. Smith 949-315. Smith, a local builder, owes at least $47,345 in taxes and late fees for at least 118 properties. His campaign manager has said Smith made a “business decision” not to pay the taxes, but Smith reportedly has made an arrangement with the treasurer’s office for repayment once he sells the properties.

Joe C. Chesser II, an independent, ran unopposed and will now occupy the Rivanna seat currently held by Charles W. Allbaugh.

Fluvanna’s School Board will have some new faces next year. Douglas R. Johnson defeated incumbent Rennie J. “RJ” Searcy in the Cunningham District with vote totals of 650-525. Challenger D. Brian Phillips ousted Vivian Leach from her Rivanna District seat with vote totals of 1,927-1,204.

Newcomer Camilla D. Washington, who ran unopposed, won the Columbia District spot on the School Board.

LOUISA

Louisa County voters on Tuesday returned incumbent Fitzgerald A. Barnes, an independent, to the Board of Supervisors and Gail O. Proffitt to the county’s School Board.

Barnes, of Zion Crossroads, a 12-year veteran of the board, ran on his accomplishments, including commercial development around Zion Crossroads and improvements in the county’s schools. He defeated Republican challenger William E. “Bill” Small Jr., of Louisa.

Barnes gathered more than 62 percent of the vote, taking 888 votes in the Patrick Henry District election to Small’s 532.

“We’re probably the envy of Central Virginia communities with the new Walmart and Lowe’s store coming in,” Barnes said before the election. “We created 1,400 jobs. We’re doing a good job, but we’ve got to continue to make those improvements. We’re a business-friendly community and we have a great rural atmosphere that we need to protect.”

In the race for the School Board, Robert H. “Bob” Meier lost to incumbent Proffitt in the Mountain Road District. Proffitt, of Mineral, has served on the School Board since 2005 and garnered 602 votes compared with Meier’s 474.

Supervisors Richard A. Havasy Sr. of the Green Springs District; Willie L. Harper of the Mineral District; and Tommy James Barlow of the Mountain Road District all ran unopposed for re-election.

Incumbent School Board members Brian M. Huffman of the Green Springs District; Gregory V. Strickland of the Patrick Henry District; and Sherman T. Shifflett of the Mineral District all ran unopposed.

NELSON

Constance “Connie” Brennan’s hope to see some of Nelson County’s projects to completion will come true, as she won, 925 votes to 464 votes over Republican challenger E. Dudley Campbell in the Central District of the Board of Supervisors.

Although the courthouse is on track, Brennan has said the county needs work on the budget and job opportunities for county residents, as well as getting broadband availability to residents.

Unopposed incumbents Allen Hale and T.D. “Tommy” Harvey received additional terms on the board’s East and North districts, respectively.

Three new School Board members who ran unopposed also were elected — Margaret D. Clair in the Central; Amy Clark Snapp in the East; and Mary S. Cunningham in the North.

MADISON

Madison County will have three new supervisors joining the county’s board after an eight-candidate race ended Tuesday night in victory for independent candidates James D. “Dave” Allen IV, Pete J. Elliott and Jerry J. Butler.

The three won their seats by winning 1,794, 1,719 and 1,593 votes, respectively, in the at-large race, accounting for 18 percent, 17 percent and 16 percent of the votes cast.

Doris G. Lackey, who served as a supervisor from 1995 to 1999, barely missed being elected, finishing with 1,577 votes and just under 16 percent of the votes.

Meanwhile, School Board candidates Martin C. Boone of Brightwood, current board Chairman Jeffrey C. Early of Madison and incumbent Doreen G. Jenkins, who lives near Haywood, won election without opposition.

In the campaign for supervisor, most of the candidates clamored for more transparency in county government, a focus on farming and land use, opening up the county to business and getting decent Internet service into the area.

“There is light at the end of tunnel and I believe the economy has turned around. The trickle-down effect to localities will take time, but at least there is cause for optimism,” Allen, who lives near Shelby, said prior to the election. “Growth is inevitable and can be beneficial if managed to maintain character and beauty of Madison.”

Butler, a retired federal investigator who lives near Madison, said the county’s taxpayers are a precious resource.

“The population of less than 14,000 citizens is a limited resource,” Butler said prior to Tuesday’s vote. “I will do my best to keep taxes, assessments, salaries and expenditures at a reasonable level.”

Elliott lives in Pratts and is the owner of Pete’s Auction Service. He serves as the vice chairman of the Madison County Planning Commission.

BUCKINGHAM

J. Ervin Toney will serve another two-year term as Dillwyn’s mayor after winning back the seat, for which he ran unopposed.

Dillwyn’s Town Council will look remarkably similar in 2010, with returning incumbents Ossie J. Harris Jr., Diane Holman James, Karen Sue Moss, Linda Venable Paige and Sarah D. Walker winning back their posts with no opposition. Sandra F. Moss ran unopposed for the seat of Brian Corona, who didn’t put his hat back into the ring this year.