Szakos, Norris get easy victories

The Democrats will keep their grip on Charlottesville’s City Council for at least another two years.

Mayor Dave Norris, the only incumbent councilor seeking re-election, easily bested his challengers by garnering 6,292 votes. His Democratic running mate, Kristin Szakos, came in with 5,074 votes. The totals amounted to nearly 39 percent and more than 31 percent, respectively, of Charlottesville’s votes.

“I’m delighted,” Szakos said late Tuesday.

Independent Bob Fenwick, a general construction contractor who primarily ran on a platform related to the area’s long-term water supply plan and preventing development in McIntire Park, received 3,280 votes. Independent Paul Long, who championed affordable housing and transit, came in with 1,212 votes.

Independent Andrew Williams ran as a write-in, though unofficial results did not specify how many votes he received. For the council, there were 378 write-in votes total.

Voter turnout Tuesday was more than 36 percent of registered city voters, a decrease from the 45 percent who voted in 2005, the most recent governor’s race but also a year that saw no council elections, as they used to be held in May.

Issues that frequently arose during the candidates’ campaigns were the Meadowcreek Parkway, the area’s long-term water supply plan, affordable housing and neighborhood engagement. The former two infrastructure issues spurred discord among the candidates, but there was no single issue that dominated the last several months.

Norris, the sole incumbent, built a reputation during his first few years on the council as an advocate for increased affordable housing, environmental stewardship and reducing poverty. Tuesday’s results, he said, showed that the ideas he and Szakos support resonated with city voters.

“Now it’s incumbent upon us to make sure these issues get reflected in city decision making, city policy making, in the future,” he said. Norris added, “It really isn’t about party. I think it’s more about ideas and about who’s come forward with the kinds of proposals and solutions that the citizens would like to see implemented in this community.”

As he campaigned this year, Norris — who headed a local homeless shelter group for roughly five years and is now the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge — focused on his experience and his efforts to implement good policies while still emphasizing that more work needed to be done.

Szakos will replace Councilor Julian Taliaferro, who by the end of his term will have sat on the council for roughly three-and-a-half years, in January. Taliaferro lost in the Democratic primary earlier this year.

A freelance writer and editor who helped mobilize area voters during President Barack Obama’s run for the White House last year, Szakos was the first candidate to announce her campaign. She mainly focused on involving more residents in city government and policy decisions. To that end, her ideas ranged from the creation of a “neighborhood advocate” in City Hall to moving city meetings into neighborhoods. Szakos also advocated for more action to reduce the achievement gap between students of different races and income levels in the city’s schools.

“We need to come together with government and schools and nonprofits and business and everyone who can come to the table,” she said.

Three independents sought to fill the council’s two open seats after no Republicans ran for the second election year. Fenwick was the most public persona, having for months denounced the Meadowcreek Parkway and the Piedmont Family YMCA for taking acreage in McIntire Park, the city’s largest. What eventually turned into his run for the City Council began as the “Save McIntire Park” effort.

“We fought a good fight. The people around me really worked hard,” Fenwick said.

Of Norris’ and Szakos’ wins, he said, “They’ve been elected to represent, and that’s my hope that that’s what they’re going to do.”