Galvin blasts some opponents as 'single-issue oriented'

Charlottesville City Council candidate Kathy Galvin said Monday that the city has reached a “low point” in its political discourse that mirrors the rancor and “paralysis” of Washington politics as the local debate continues to focus on a few controversial projects.

“Some have unfortunately adopted a bunker mentality about a particular issue, or a set of issues, and espouse a ‘my way or the highway’ approach to politics and decision-making,” Galvin said. “It leaves very little room for reaching consensus on what’s best for all of us. This isn’t good for the Democratic Party and it isn’t good for Charlottesville.”

Her comments — and those of her supporters — drew a sharp reply from Mayor Dave Norris. Norris vigorously defended the slate of Democratic candidates — Dede Smith, Brevy Cannon and Colette Blount — that he has endorsed in this year’s elections. The battle lines in this year’s Democratic primary have been drawn over the water-supply plan, which Galvin referred to specifically.

An architect who currently sits on the city School Board, Galvin made the remarks at a news conference outside the Downtown Transit Center, where she was joined by former Mayors Kay Slaughter and Blake Caravati and fellow School Board members Ned Michie and Guian McKee.

Galvin called for putting aside divisiveness so that the city can get to work on other issues and get things done.

“Our local politics should not tolerate bitter factionalism or pit neighbor against neighbor, neighborhood against neighborhood or city against county,” Galvin said.

Asked to identify the issues and people she was referring to, Galvin declined to name names.

“I think it’s pretty easy to point out the way we’ve been dealing with the water plan and the way we’ve been talking about the Meadow Creek Parkway,” Galvin said. “And I’ll just leave it at that. Those two issues have been divisive and a lot of people are focusing on that totally and becoming single-issue oriented.”

Issues of poverty, unemployment, workforce housing and nurturing the local biotech industry have suffered as lingering controversies dominate local discussions, Galvin said.

“They’ve been neglected,” Galvin said.

Though she didn’t identify them by name, Galvin’s message — and the messages of her supporters — appeared to be aimed at Smith, Blount and Cannon, all of whom are opposed to the construction of a new earthen dam at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir.

“It seems that there’s been a lot of distraction going on,” Galvin said. “The studies that have been done on the water plan, they are all corroborating the importance of the compromise plan, that it’s going to work. And the advocates that are for the dredge-only plan seem to be only advocating for getting new studies that corroborate their position.”

Smith, a co-founder of anti-dam group Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan, declined to respond to Galvin’s specific remarks.

“What is exciting about this election is that it is about issues,” Smith said. “The fact is, there are many issues facing the city, about which the candidates disagree and the voters have a choice, as they should in a vibrant democracy.”

Some of Galvin’s supporters were more pointed in their criticisms of her primary opponents.

In an interview, Caravati said that past councils have focused on consensus-building, but now a vocal minority with a rigid position has taken center stage.

“A small group of true believers … have completely commandeered the microphone,” said Caravati.

Caravati referred to the actions of Smith, Blount and Cannon at a recent candidate forum hosted by The Daily Progress and Charlottesville Tomorrow. The format included a round in which candidates could ask questions of one another, but didn’t include time for closing remarks. The three collaborated to ask easy questions of one another, which essentially allowed all three to make closing remarks.

“There’s three people running for City Council that are running as a politburo,” Caravati said. “… It’s a politburo of, ‘we’re going to get it. We’re going to run the city this way because we truly believe, we are true believers. We don’t believe in constructing consensus; we believe in doing it in what we think is the best way.’”

Norris, a dam opponent, has endorsed Smith, Blount and Cannon, and he’s also working as Cannon’s campaign treasurer. Some have questioned whether Norris should be actively involved in council campaigns, and Caravati was critical of the mayor’s actions.

“It’s not appropriate. He’s the first that’s ever done it,” Caravati said.

Norris said Caravati’s politburo characterization was a “ridiculous metaphor” that shows a lack of familiarity with the three candidates in question, who Norris said are “intelligent, independent individuals.”

“The party establishment, the people who are going to fight to defend the status quo until their dying breath, are feeling threatened, because you have candidates who are not wedded to the status quo, who want to see some real change happen here in the city,” Norris said.

Norris also rejected the idea that sitting mayors should abstain from being active in other campaigns.

“There are three sitting councilors who have endorsed candidates in this race and I think it’s entirely appropriate for us as citizens to support other candidates for office,” Norris said. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

The mayor said he agreed with Galvin’s point about the need to find compromise, but for different reasons. On the water-supply plan, Norris said, the city abandoned an opportunity for compromise by giving in to demands from Albemarle County.

“We have to stand up for good, well-informed decisions and approaches that do try to strike a common ground,” Norris said. “It’s not about the county getting its way. It’s not about the Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan getting their way. The whole point was to find an approach that does bridge the gap. And to have City Council cave in to the county because of its ‘my way or the highway’ attitude, I think just left a terrible taste in the mouths of a lot of Charlottesville residents and voters … There is nothing whatsoever inappropriate about citizens and candidates standing up for smarter approaches to governance.”

Galvin is one of seven candidates vying for three Democratic nominations this year. Rounding out the field are Smith, Blount, Cannon, Paul Beyer, James Halfaday and incumbent Satyendra Huja.

Five independents — Bob Fenwick, Scott Bandy, Brandon Collins, Andrew Williams and Paul Long — are also running.

The Democratic Party’s “firehouse primary” will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at Burley Middle School. Voters who will be out of town on that date can participate in absentee balloting from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 and 18 at the Independence Resource Center on Cherry Avenue.

The general election is Nov. 8.