As Roanoke County follows the sample of a lot of southwest Virginia and the southeastern United States, rising numbers of voters are pulling the lever for Republican candidates. Examples abound. Within the historic November 2021 election, the GOP ticket led by Glenn Youngkin bested the Democrats led by former Gov. Terry McAuliffe by a margin of about 2 to 1. With the early retirement of former courtroom clerk Steve McGraw Feb. 1 Roanoke County has only one Democratic incumbent: Income Commissioner Nancy Horne, 78, who has held the place for many years and can face GOP challenger Jason Peters this fall. .
For Republican officers, nevertheless, the seemingly weakened risk from Democrats doesn’t diminish one other hazard: Different Republican hopefuls problem incumbents in primaries that often happen in June earlier than the overall election.
That drama is now unfolding within the sprawling Glenvar district on the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, as Salem Pastor Tom McCracken, MD, introduced this week his intention to problem incumbent Martha Hooker for to the GOP nomination. The winner of this main could have their identify on the poll in November. Together with rural Catawba and Mason’s Cove, the Glenvar district is the biggest geographically of the 5 county seats.
Martha Hooker has represented the Glenvar district for eight years and has introduced her candidacy for re-election this fall. As reported right here, Hooker is now the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors (BOS) and together with the opposite BOS members has established a repute for quiet competence. The no-nonsense, anti-incumbency method to the county’s incumbents has been in stark distinction to town of Roanoke, the place many council members have been embroiled in controversies and scandals similar to Mayor Sherman Lea Jr.’s involvement. (D) within the illegalities of the Parole Board.
On April 13, Del. Salam “Sam” Rasoul (D-Roanoke) introduced that town of Roanoke now has the outrageous repute of getting the second highest charge of non-fatal drug overdoses within the nation.
In Roanoke County, Dr. McCracken introduced his candidacy at midday Monday, April 10, at Glen Cove Elementary Faculty. A part of their announcement is as follows:
“Behind me is one in all solely two elementary faculties in Roanoke County that had been constructed over 50 years in the past and have not seen main renovations since then. Glenn (sic) Cove Elementary nonetheless options an outdated open idea classroom which we now know just isn’t indicative of a viable studying surroundings for our present demographic.Additionally, with the rise in class shootings – there have been greater than 50 in 2022, probably the most reported in a single year-, we all know that our workers and college students are in danger.
“Having so many youngsters in an open classroom leaves them weak to those acts of violence, far more so than conventional school rooms the place fewer college students and workers can shut particular person doorways and attempt to defend themselves whereas restraining an lively shooter as regulation enforcement arrives. the order
“I met with Mrs. Hooker, who at the moment chairs the Board of Supervisors, two weeks in the past. It was then that I indicated my consideration for working for this place based mostly on the security dangers related to our faculties and another points. I shared that campaigning was not one thing I might decide to if these points might be addressed earlier than the 2030 date detailed by Ms. Hooker; my father not too long ago handed away, and I nonetheless have not buried my daughters dwelling in Virginia Seashore was not too long ago shot by a shooter with one of many bullets eliminated by regulation enforcement from her bedside dresser that saved her life I am not searching for one thing else to devour my time or assets, however as I shared with Ms. Hooker, all of my daughters attended Glenn Cove Elementary and I can’t sleep till these points are resolved; I don’t want our county workers to be in peril and I definitely don’t desire anybody to be in peril.
“Mrs. Hooker instructed me that the Board of Supervisors has been extra beneficiant in offering monetary assist to Roanoke County Public Faculties than ever earlier than and that plans had been to supply extra monetary help in about 10 years to handle these faculty issues Then, since no progress was made at that assembly, I made a decision to announce my candidacy.
“In lower than every week, the Roanoke County Faculty Board acquired a communication from the Board of Supervisors revealing its willingness to supply a document $130 million in funding to be allotted to a brand new Middle for “Profession and Technical Schooling and FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS to renovate. WE Cundiff Elementary and the college behind me that began all of it, Glen Cove Elementary. I am not the one one who would not assume it is a coincidence that simply two weeks in the past we had been standing nonetheless, however instantly after my announcement to run, this financial drain on assets opens for the advantage of almost 14,000 college students and their households.
“Subsequently, if my candidacy was the shot throughout the bow of the motionless institution that precipitated this fiscal change of priorities and path, I’m very a lot trying ahead to creating a couple of extra photographs. I hereby announce my candidacy to problem Martha Hooker for the Catawba District seat of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors on this June Republican main (….)
“Relating to accountability for top tutorial requirements: At the moment nearly all of faculty board members assist me, and people who are right here in the present day and plenty of can’t be right here to pledge their assist; believing that I’ll assist and empower THEM, the central workplace workers, our educators, the youngsters and their households. I consider that with greater than 40 p.c of our finances going to our academic infrastructure and instruction, we want an educator within the BOS. I’ve been a licensed instructor, instructing in Roanoke County, Metropolis of Roanoke, and Metropolis of Salem for nearly 20 years, in addition to instructing on the school and college stage, and my PhD is in Schooling.
“In relation to supporting our native regulation enforcement; I’ve been concerned in personally supporting these superb women and men in blue and brown for over a decade, at the moment serving because the Senior Chaplain for the Roanoke County Sheriff’s Workplace. My fourteen years of army service give me a coronary heart for these unbelievable, self-sacrificing officers and their households.
“And, by way of new job alternatives in Roanoke County; it is a well-known deficiency that if not corrected sooner relatively than later will make this Valley solely a retirement vacation spot. Along with having a level in enterprise with expertise in constructing and managing companies and organizations, I’m in my second time period on the Virginia Israel Advisory Council whose main process is to INTRODUCE new companies to our Commonwealth, and we have now a A monitor document of success with Israeli corporations contributing billions of {dollars} to the Commonwealth GDP – having me on the BOS would include these connections (….).”
McCracken just isn’t the one educator on this profession. Mrs. Hooker is a retired instructor from Roanoke County.
Mrs. Hooker made the next assertion a The Roanoke Star: “I’ve had the dignity of representing Catawba County on the Board of Supervisors for eight years and our residents know me. I’ve taken a standard sense method to the key points going through Roanoke County, together with:taxes, faculties, public security and financial growth.
“We always decrease tax charges(even yesterday), weenhance the revenue of the collegesyearly($8.7 million new this yr and a $130 million plan for CTE faculty and two outdated elementary faculties), we proceed toput money into our public security(regulation enforcement and fireplace and rescue), and have introducedover $190 million in new investments final yr!
“I take pleasure in interacting with residents and following up on their issues and questions in a well timed method. The folks of Roanoke County know me and our household.”
The Roanoke Star He additionally requested each candidates for a proof of why Roanoke County levies a property tax of $1.06 per $100 valuation, whereas all surrounding counties have a lot decrease charges. For instance, Bedford County’s tax is simply 50 cents per $100, with a push to decrease it even additional. For instance, Bedford and all the opposite rural counties across the Roanoke Valley preserve faculty programs, libraries, lifeguards, and so forth.
Ms. Hooker’s response was, “Roanoke County operates extra like a metropolis than a typical county. We worth it tremendouslysecurityin our neighborhood with a strong police division. We provide providers likerubbish assortment; we have now neighborhoodlibraries; ourfacultiesare persistently extremely valued; a developmentbroadbandcommunity that connects greater than 2000 new households this yr. However one of many largest variations is if you name 911,you possibly can belief our rescue and fireplace division. We have now workers and that may attend to you in your schedule of want!
“Our residents have grown to anticipate this stage of service throughout the 250 sq. miles of our county!”
Dr. McCracken was unavailable for remark.
As reported right here, on Tuesday, April 11, Roanoke County introduced main cuts to non-public property taxes. Whether or not associated or coincidental, this announcement got here the day after McCracken’s announcement that he was working for workplace.
-Scott Dreyer
