Council hopefuls stress concerns for neighborhoods

The four candidates for City Council on Wednesday sought to paint themselves as the most responsive official to neighborhood concerns instead of consultants and other parties.

“This is a representative republic. You should call the shots in your neighborhood — not the developers,” independent Bob Fenwick said during a candidate forum sponsored by the Fry’s Spring Neighborhood Association.

“Why don’t you have sidewalks?” he asked. “The city can find money for its expert studies but not money for your sidewalks?”

Residents of the Fry’s Spring neighborhood, which edges up against part of Albemarle County’s urban ring, expressed concerns that the county’s growth area is stressing their neighborhood, which contains many single-family homes.

“Those are issues that really point out the need to do some better working with the county, some better standing up for ourselves,” Democrat Kristin Szakos said Wednesday, adding that councilors and the Board of Supervisors should form an alliance to work through urban issues.

“We also have a city staff that may not always share the vision of City Council,” she said.

Those sentiments were echoed when discussing developers, governmental authorities and the role of City Manager Gary O’Connell. All four agreed that the city staff and city manager need to be held accountable for decisions that councilors make.

“We have to have more accountability,” Mayor Dave Norris, the only incumbent in the race, said. “I believe the City Council should have the power to hire and fire department heads in the city.”

Wednesday’s event was the first candidate forum to feature all four vying for the Council’s two open seats in the Nov. 3 election. Norris and Szakos participated in two forums earlier this year, along with Councilor Julian Taliaferro, before the Democrats’ May nominating caucus. Taliaferro was not nominated for re-election.

Wednesday’s forum ran the gamut in terms of issues discussed — the Meadowcreek Parkway, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, as well as the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, McIntire Park, affordable housing, transportation and alternative energy.

On the area’s long-term water supply plan, the candidates said that no city taxpayer money should be spent to instigate urban sprawl in Albemarle. Instead, city dollars should be spent only to maintain the reservoir and existing infrastructure.

“You pay the price when you don’t spend money to maintain infrastructure,” independent Paul Long said.

Norris also added that the hardest part of considering dredging for the long-term water supply plan is figuring out where to put the sediment — something that requires Albemarle County’s cooperation, he said.

“There’s no way around that,” Norris said.

The candidates also spent much of their time discussing how the city government should become more open with residents, a central issue of Szakos’ campaign.

“The public has an obligation to be involved in government as well,” Long said.

When asked how councilors would deal with the dual priorities of city staff and neighborhoods, Fenwick said, “You stay on top of the city by being a leader. You let the people know that they’re in charge of this city.”

The four candidates will also participate in another forum next week. It will take place 7 p.m. Wednesday at Burley Middle School.