Author: Catie Ratliff

The Albemarle County Fire Marshal’s Office issued a burn ban on November 17, following a wave of wildfires across Virginia. Though the Afton Mountain and Quaker Run fires are now contained, the Charlottesville area is not yet out of the woods this fire season.

No big fires have broken out in Albemarle County, but Albemarle County Fire Rescue has been busy helping neighboring communities and fighting drought conditions. “In the fall, there’s always the increased fuel load from debris that’s falling, leaves and other dead vegetation that’s died off, so that creates ground fuel,” says ACFR Deputy Chief Emily Pelliccia. “[Albemarle’s] been in better shape than … some of the other areas in terms of that ground moisture.”

Containing fires in remote areas or on difficult terrain, like Afton Mountain, can be challenging for firefighters, says Pelliccia. Between difficulty accessing the location of the flames and restrictions on heavy equipment, containing fires on mountaintops is literally an uphill battle.

“We were really fortunate with the Afton fire that the Madison [Quaker Run] fire was at a point where there were a lot of state and federal resources that had been kind of demobilized or were in a holding pattern,” says Pelliccia. “The Department of Forestry was able to relocate some of those quickly to the Afton fire.”

With the Afton and Quaker Run fires contained, ACFR is focusing on preventing future forest flames. ACFR monitors data from both the Virginia Department of Forestry and the National Weather Service to determine if a burn ban should be issued.

While Albemarle’s burn ban is still in effect at press time, that could change soon according to Pelliccia. 

“Fire ban season usually runs till about December 1. … I will say this year we’ve not seen a big spike in incidents as compared to the last few years,” she says. “With all the rain that we’re anticipating getting in the next couple of days, we may end [the burn ban] sooner.”

Even when the ban is lifted, precautions should still be taken when burning anything outdoors.

“We recommend keeping a really wide clearance around whatever it is you’re burning,” says Pelliccia. “We recommend 300 feet from structures—so any houses or any buildings—and then 500 feet from any other burning combustible.”

The holiday season is a prime time for increased calls to ACFR. Between decoration mishaps, cooking accidents, and candle overabundance, hearts aren’t the only things that can light up in the wintertime.

“There is a risk of fire from overloading circuits with extra lights. Hopefully no one’s using real candles in windows anymore, I think everyone’s switched to LED,” says Pelliccia. “We sometimes get a spike with people using turkey fryers … when they do it improperly and it splashes burning oil, that can sometimes catch stuff on fire.”

For more information on how to keep your holidays merry and bright (and safe!), visit albemarle.org/government/fire-rescue

Charlottesville High School was unexpectedly closed for three days, from Friday, November 17, through Tuesday, November 21, after student fights tipped an already short-staffed school over the edge. Brawls and disruptive behavior have been a persistent problem at CHS this school year, causing safety concerns for students, staff, and parents. Though Charlottesville City Schools has labeled the days without instruction a “cultural reset,” details of how the school will fix its student behavior issues remain murky.

Problems at the school most recently escalated when a large-scale fight broke out on Thursday, November 16. In a video of the fight obtained by C-VILLE, several girls can be seen swinging at each other, with dozens of observers cheering, filming, and spectating. There does not appear to be a CHS staff member visible at any point in the short recording.

While particulars about the students involved in the altercation are limited, CCS officials confirmed that an 18-year-old not affiliated with the school was let into the building during the incident. The unknown individual was reportedly involved in the fight, and came to the school for the altercation.

Charges have been pressed against the 18-year-old, according to CCS Superintendent Royal Gurley. Based on information from the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle Citizens Connect portal, there are two cases pending that align with the date, time, and location of the incident: non-domestic disturbance and simple assault.

Gurley said the November 17 school closure was a result of both expected staff absences and call-outs following the fight. “There were some teachers who were going to be at conferences, but most certainly there were some teachers who decided yesterday that they wanted to take care of themselves today,” he said during a press conference. “They want to see support for their students, so that the climate is better, but they also want to see supports for themselves and their colleagues.”

While Gurley indicated that recent incidents have largely involved the same small group of individuals, the impact of the CHS fights extends well beyond those directly involved in the altercations.

CHS does not have student resource officers, so care and safety assistants and teachers are often responsible for breaking up altercations between students. There have been unconfirmed reports of a staff member injured in a fight that occurred in October, with multiple students reporting seeing a care and safety assistant wearing a sling in the following days. CCS officials would not confirm or deny the alleged injury.

“What we know is that it seems that students are bringing some issues that are non-school related into the building, and they are engaging in this inappropriate behavior,” said Gurley. “That type of behavior is not welcomed and tolerated in this building. And we need to know what supports do you need in order to be successful? And if it’s not here, then let’s help you to find where those supports are located.”

As part of its effort to improve the environment at CHS, CCS plans to reaffirm consequences for inappropriate student behavior and direct students with persistent disciplinary issues to alternative learning environments, including Lugo-McGinness Academy and the soon-to-be-launched Knight School.

Gurley and CCS Supervisor of Community Relations Beth Cheuk acknowledged a call by the Charlottesville Education Association for classes to be canceled through Thanksgiving break at the Friday, November 17, press conference, but reiterated that school would continue as scheduled with several changes made to improve security and safety at CHS. Less than 24 hours later, the district reversed course and announced November 20 and 21 would be teacher workdays.

“We agreed to cancel classes at Charlottesville High School on Monday and Tuesday, November 20-21 to allow administrators and staff to continue planning for a ‘reset’ of school policies, procedures, and culture so that we can return to our core purpose—offering a safe learning environment in which our students will grow and thrive,” wrote school board chair James Bryant in a press release announcing the closure.

Speaking to C-VILLE about his experiences at the school, CHS counselor and wrestling coach David Wilkerson says he hopes the workdays will allow staff to find proactive solutions to the problems plaguing the school. “We’re all so busy throughout the day managing kids, that when something happens, that erupts, and we have to take care of it, we’re putting out fires rather than communicating,” he says. “I think it’s extraordinarily fortunate that we’re able to take two days, and just talk with no kids to manage in the building so that we can establish norms and structure and expectations and a way to communicate as we move forward.”

The situation at CHS is still rapidly developing, with next steps changing day-to-day. After the sudden November 8 announcement that Principal Rashaad Pitt would not return after the Thanksgiving break, retired Charlottesville principal Kenny Leatherwood was named interim leader at CHS.

After more than three years, Albemarle County Public Schools reinstated its school resource officer program on October 30. Both the district and the officer at Albemarle High School are optimistic about improving safety and community through the program, but opponents believe the return of SROs is a step in the wrong direction.

In a Q&A session following the announcement, AHS Principal Darah Bonham mentioned safety and community building as two drivers for bringing back officers. In 2020, the Albemarle School Board voted to remove SROs from county schools after nationwide protests erupted over police brutality.

Prior to being stationed at AHS, Officer Jamie Kwiecinsky worked as a SRO in Harrisonburg City Schools. He says the two schools and their communities are different, but Kwiecinsky’s previous training and experience has prepared him for the role. In addition to a required 40-hour Department of Criminal Justice Services course, the officer says he’s completed “youth mental health, first aid, … activism, [and] active shooter type trainings.”

Kwiecinsky hopes to strengthen school safety by being present and engaged at AHS. “You have to be seen, you have to be out in the hallways patrolling in and outside of … the school building, and just [have] people know that you’re there. It’s more than just coming into the school and sitting in the office all day long and not being seen,” he says. “Right now I’m working with driver’s education, trying to do some stuff with them on vehicle stops, traffic stops with law enforcement, how to act, how to properly receive an officer coming up to their vehicle, things like that, more than just inside the school safety.”

Though Kwiecinsky and others at ACPS and ACPD are optimistic about the return of the SRO program, not everyone is happy with the officers returning. Namely, the Hate-Free Schools Coalition of Albemarle County is concerned about SRO’s impact on students.

“HFSC was disappointed not only in the return of SROs, but in the process that took place implementing their return,” the group said in a statement to C-VILLE. “While safety in schools is undoubtedly important, it’s essential to consider the broader implications of police presence on students, particularly those from marginalized communities.”

In particular, Hate-Free Schools voiced concern about the negative effect police presence would have on students of color, and disabled and LGBTQ+ students. The group points to research by the American Civil Liberties Union and The Brookings Institution, which shows that, when police are in schools, there’s a disproportionate arrest of students of color. “Moreover, students are not made aware of their rights and protections against self-incrimination,” wrote HFSC. “If students are going to be questioned by police in schools, they need to be receiving education on their right to not speak without a parent or adult present. This is not happening.”

Hate-Free Schools would like to see alternative efforts taken to address safety concerns and build community. Specific options mentioned by the group include hiring additional mental health therapists, partnering with community organizations, and staff training on trauma-informed practices and conflict resolution.

After an action-filled first 90 days on the job, City Manager Sam Sanders took an hour out of his (very!) busy schedule to talk with C-VILLE about a wide range of topics, including his new gig’s biggest challenges, staying calm under pressure, and making government boring again.

Sanders came to Charlottesville in July 2021 to be the deputy city manager of operations, after serving as executive director of the nonprofit Mid City Redevelopment Alliance in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The son of a Marine, he moved countless times growing up, and after his parents divorced, he bounced between his father, mother, and grandmother’s houses. Sanders eventually landed in Newport News, Virginia, where he graduated from Christopher Newport University, earning a degree in English with a focus on journalism.

In his limited personal time, he enjoys watching movies with his family and exploring the outdoors. Sanders’ two adult children live across the country, and his wife is a professor at Virginia State University.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

C-VILLE Weekly: You said you originally wanted to be a war correspondent, then you ended up in nonprofits. You were interested in public relations in the middle there. What has the transition into working in government been like?

Sam Sanders: It does feel like war at times. That’s funny. The transition has been smooth in that, because I was here for two years [as deputy city manager], I already had a good lay of the land for some of the key individuals here in town, some of the various issues that have been kind of our hot-button issues, knowing kind of who comes and goes normally, what are they usually calling and talking about. That has been helpful. 

I really formed my own relationships with as many people as I could in that deputy role. So a lot of the people that I still talk with today, I was talking with them before. So that part was easy. Coming here, I knew what it meant to do the deputy role, because I was basically in charge of the services that really impacted people on a daily basis. So I knew that meant I couldn’t just sit at my desk, I needed to be out in the community meeting people as well. Which is what I did. … I didn’t get out as much as I probably wish I could have, because there were just so many things going on. But I got out and met those folks in that old role. And that’s probably going to pay me well in this, in that I’m not making brand new relationships to be able to do the job. But coming from Baton Rouge, I was looking for a new adventure, I was looking for a new challenge. I had been in that job for 15 years, and it was an amazing opportunity. But I had probably stayed a little bit longer than I needed to. It was time to pass the baton to someone else.

What is your job like on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis?

It is madness. Not madness in a bad sense, madness in that it’s a lot. It just is. The job in itself, a normal version of a city manager job is always a lot. That I knew, that I have kind of studied on my own as I’ve tried to wrap my arms around this form of government because I didn’t come from this form of government. We had a strong mayor and council had a bigger role to play [in Baton Rouge]. So it’s been interesting. Even sitting in the deputy seat, I thought I understood. It wasn’t until I sat in this seat that I really understood. Because there are a lot more meetings, a lot more things that I’m responsible for being a part of as the city manager. I sit on the Rivanna boards, and I sit on the airport board. So those are things that you don’t just walk into that meeting and everything is okay. There’s more stuff to read, there’s more stuff to understand. I am charting the direction of each of those and the votes that I cast in those meetings, very similar to how I’m preparing council to be able to vote on their matters in a council meeting. So there’s a lot to juggle … it’s what I signed up for. Most of it is just being able to get the time.

What has been the largest challenge that you’ve encountered in your time as city manager?

Well, I would say that the recent events at Market Street Park were probably the toughest period in this—well, I hit 90 days on Wednesday [November 1]. It’s probably been the most difficult period because I think we as a community at large know that we should prioritize individuals experiencing homelessness, and do everything we can to reduce the impacts of that, and how that plays out. … The challenge of it is that we’re not all on the same page, we’re not all more or less willing to adapt to one agenda so that we can really accomplish what we probably could accomplish. And I say that because … we could do something significant here. A city this size with the resources that we have, even with the scope of the problem that we have, I believe we can make a difference in a way that other communities, other peer communities, would not because they wouldn’t necessarily make the decisions that I think we are willing to make. 

Part of my task right now is to try to help get people to that same place and focus on what … would make a difference for those that are unhoused. And for me, the number one priority today is that we need to have an operational shelter 24/7, 365 days a year. That is a minimum. It is not the finish line by any means, it’s probably not even half of the race. But I think it’s important for us to recognize that we should provide an alternative for those who are willing to come from outside, a place that they find safe and comfortable. And it can’t be a place that they have a short tenure in if it’s going to take us a minute to get them out of it and to get them on the ladder to self-sufficiency so that they can then handle things with the various supports attached. So I think that’s probably been the toughest period only because I knew it was on the list of things that I would have to tackle. I did not realize it would come so early. … I would have preferred to have been able to do a few more things to get a little more clarity before I actually started to work on it. But that’s what this job is: You don’t get to plan how it comes at you. And it just means that it became a thing for me to focus on, an important thing for me to focus on, and one that I haven’t stopped working on. I’m still working on it today, I will continue to work on it. And even though I’ve developed a work group that’s internal, that’s going to keep working on it, in the broader sense, I still have a few tasks that I’m working on personally.

At a recent City Council meeting, you presented that workgroup and short-term, medium-term, long-term priorities for addressing homelessness in Charlottesville and in the surrounding areas. Now that PACEM is open, what are your immediate next steps and the workgroup’s next steps?

They’re separate, so there’s a lot. So the workgroup itself [is] internally building a data set, they’re trying to pull the information together that is available. They’re trying to ask questions of, “What do we not know? … Are there things that we don’t know? Are there things that we need to know?” When we talk about having a shelter, first question is, how big of a shelter? I don’t know that answer yet. We’re going to have them do that work and continue to figure those things out. And one other thing they’re going to prioritize is direct contact with the unhoused, so that we can get clarity from those who are experiencing it; [they] are best for telling us how we do something about it. So we want to get that feedback as well. … I created a lane for myself. And that’s the way I described it to them. Y’all have the highway, I have a lane, I’m gonna work on … building an opportunity for us to have a relationship with the county on this matter. I would love for it to be a regional engagement. But I don’t know that all of our regional partners are going to be willing to come to the table. But I intend to ask. 

I think the best thing that I could do is pose the question, I don’t believe it’s been posed to them before, from what I understand, so I don’t have a problem with bringing that to the table. And we’re beginning to set up a meeting for us to have a regional engagement. So hopefully, something will come out of that. If it doesn’t, then I’m hoping at least Albemarle County would join me in that because we’ve had some basic conversations, but there’s still some work that they need to do. I am trying to make sure that Premier Circle stays on track. There’s a budget gap that I’m actively working to try to close, in partnership with others. And I’ve been meeting with Virginia Supportive Housing on that matter. And there’s even a chance that we might temporarily reopen Premier Circle for a short while, just to ensure that we have an option for everyone. Because that was what I wanted to prioritize … that we had the temporary lifting of the operating hours. It was to make sure that I could do what I could do to find out what other options existed. … And then, there’s still more that’ll probably begin to fall into my lane. But for right now, those are three big heavy lifts. But I think we’ll bring a lot more information to the table. And then what I’ve said to council is there will be plenty of opportunities for this city to invest in solving problems associated with homelessness. 

You faced pushback during the time that Market Street Park’s curfew was lifted. There was a wide swath of emails sent to you and city councilors. What was it like receiving those messages? How did that impact you? And were you able to take any of the input or feedback that you got and turn it into something constructive?

It’s hard when people come attacking you. It’s hard when people come very negative. And yeah, there were some times where I was angry with what people chose to say to me about whatever. Criticism comes with [the] territory. I know who I am, so I don’t take it personally. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not human and I do get mad. 

The presentation of my work plan and strategy on the second of October is an example of me being mad because I felt like I had to get some things off my chest so that I could process in a healthy way. It was disappointing at times, because I heard people who told me not to prioritize the unhoused individuals in the park. And I found that very hard to accept. I am a caring person, I am not one who just simply gives, gives, gives and does not expect that people do anything, I’m not that person. I’ve seen too much of the struggle in life for those who haven’t had, but yet, they still found a way to do things and they were able to change their own trajectory. And I want to be a part of that as much as I can. But I’m also willing to reach down and lift up someone who cannot get up on their own, and do whatever needs to be done. So to hear I shouldn’t focus on them was a little hard to accept and appreciate. Because if I don’t, then who will? I mean that just as a very simple statement, and a very basic concept there. And I was not really inclined to spend a whole lot of time thinking about anyone who said that to me. … I welcomed every chance that I got to see something else about someone else thinking about it in a different way. Because I don’t know everything. And I don’t pretend to know everything. But yeah, it’s hard when “give us our park back”—well, the park belongs to everyone. And I found myself defending the right for anyone else to be in the park. 

There are three parks downtown. So options exist. … I did a lot of—stay cool. Don’t go there and do that. Because people are angry, they’re angry for different reasons. It’s not for me to try to make them not be angry, it’s for them to worry about it. But for me, I just wanted to make sure that I was doing what I thought was right. I will always strive to do what I think is right. And I will trust that when I do it, I’m doing it for the right reason. So anything that I do in this job, I’m going to always try to look at it that way. … And the moment that I gave those individuals was an opportunity to know that they could be there and it was okay to be there. And then, temporarily, we would allow that while we figured out some other things, and then there will be an alternative. And for those that chose not to go there, I am still thinking about them. I’m still working towards a resolution for them. And I will continue to do so.

Has your inbox calmed down a bit?

What I see is, things come in cycles. That kind of went away. I think a lot of people, when they heard me reinstate the operating hours, they were angry about that. So of course I had another wave of emails that came, “How dare you do that, you really shouldn’t do this, you shouldn’t do that.” And I said it was temporary, I did not hesitate when I said that in the beginning, I always felt that that’s what it was. This was not about hurting anyone. I recognize that people had opinions about what the park had become. But I also recognize that in the meantime, I have been working to secure additional beds for shelter services and to bring them online earlier than normal. And we did that. … I thought I was doing what I thought was right. And I continue to hold to that. I think we planned the best transition that I could have ever dreamed. I was worried that evening thinking that something was gonna go wrong. … But I think that the various people who worked in the park throughout the week, we know that some of the case managers were there on a regular basis, talking and offering options and trying to find out what people needed and what they were going to do. Our police chief did a great job, in my opinion, of demonstrating that he was serious about wanting to help make the transition go smoothly. And we were able to accomplish that. So, I’m not celebrating it in the way that some people think that I might have. I believe they probably think I’m running around the office doing a high five. That’s not me. I did not do that, because people are still homeless. And that is not a reason for me to high five anyone.

You mentioned earlier, and I believe it was at the press conference where you first accepted the position, before you even officially started the job, that you would like to make government boring again. Where do you think you are in that process? And is that still something you’re aiming for?

People have questioned me on what does that mean, and they’ve said it in a negative light. So I want to clear that up. And I would love for you to print this. So when I mentioned boring, I meant boring in the sense of what it feels like inside the organization. That when we come to work, we actually can plan to sit down at our desks and do the work that we need to do. Not be bombarded with many, many different distractions and things that don’t necessarily get us to helping people, serving people, solving problems. It’s the many, many things, the distractions, the things that take you off your course. That’s what we mean when we reference boring government. It is not what people have sometimes thought that means, that it’s safe, and you’re not really trying to do anything special, you live in the status quo. I am not a status quo individual. … It’s meant to be the ability to come in and do the work. And you want to come in and do the work with the right perspective.  

But boring government means that you come in and you punch a clock and you get work done in the course of that day. And it’s a predictable enough day that you can anticipate what you’re going to be dealing with, you’re going to get those things done, and you’re going to actually move the needle to this place, and you’ll come back and you’ll do it again and you’ll do it again and you’ll do it again. That’s really what is meant by boring, it is not in any way an indication that we don’t want criticisms or questions or challenges or anything like that. 

In the national media, the international media, the mention of our city’s name has become a shorthand for the events of August 12, 2017. How have you grappled with that? How do you think about that in your role as city manager?

Well, so as the city manager, of course, along with council, I am a champion of this city. And it is my responsibility to make sure that I bring positive attention to it at all times. So that gets me in trouble at times, because I’m going to say that Charlottesville is a beautiful place, when it is. But it’s a place that has challenges just like anywhere else. And there is a long history here. So even though the recent history is what people think about and talk about, there’s a rich history, a rich, complicated history, that goes back to its founding. And that in itself has caused people to feel various things. And I don’t know that we have necessarily reconciled all of that. I think we’ve touched on it at times, and maybe talked about it here or there. And eventually, I think we probably could find a way to get there, some consistency. And this work that I’m in might actually lend itself to being able to see how I might be in that conversation.  

I do think that one day, I’m going to be able to mention to someone that I am from Charlottesville, Virginia, and they’re not going to basically cringe or “Oh…”—that kind of reaction. Because I have gotten that reaction. … I don’t want that. … I don’t think that event is what this city is all about. Do we have real issues here? Absolutely, we do. … I’m from the South. I was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, I lived in different parts of the state, lived in Louisiana, but I also lived in South Carolina, California, and Hawaii. And I knew racism everywhere that I went. I understood what it felt like in many places. I knew exactly what it looked like. And it was real. So being here where it is discussed a lot is different for me. But I recognize that means there’s more to it, and I can’t dismiss it. 

What are your hopes for Charlottesville?

I do hear people at times say that Charlottesville doesn’t know what it wants to be. I think that’s an important question. What is it that Charlottesville wants to be? I think we need to make sure that we are thinking about the answer to that question. Because that would be what I would want to be working on. Council just created a new vision that says, “A place where everyone thrives.” That says a lot, that means a lot. I think I need to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to ensure that we can live up to that one day. … Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll lay that path and we will get there. And I think that’s what the team that is the city organization should really be focused on, is that, “How do we get the city where we want it to be?”

Kindlewood residents and local affordable housing leaders are celebrating after a $6 million check was presented to the Piedmont Housing Alliance and National Housing Trust by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The check closes a major funding gap in the Kindlewood redevelopment project, and will help cover the cost of solar installation and other energy-efficiency efforts in the neighborhood.  

Presented to PHA and NHT on October 26, the large check was awarded as part of the Biden administration’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. Kindlewood is one of 16 properties to receive funding through the program, which aims to fund otherwise cost-prohibitive energy efficiency improvements in affordable housing communities.

Split into four phases, the redevelopment of Kindlewood is both resident led and zero displacement. People began moving into new buildings this summer, and once PHA has finished the move-in of phase-one residents (by December or January), it will begin demolition and construction for phase two.

“We have had a commitment to the residents to start construction of phase two, as soon as phase one was complete,” said Sunshine Mathon, executive director at Piedmont Housing Alliance, following the check presentation. “We had a remaining gap in the financing until this $6 million came through. This closes our gap and allows us to stay on track and hold that commitment to the residents.”

Solar panels will be installed across the Kindlewood community as part of the upcoming construction. 

“This funding allows us not only to finish the goal on phase two funding, but to do so with a deep commitment to some of the most energy-efficient housing in the commonwealth,” said Mathon. “The roofs will be 100 percent covered in solar, and that will provide direct benefit directly to the residents.”

For community leaders and residents, the most exciting benefit of the project is the expected reduction in energy costs that comes with solar installation. “You can build housing, but if the cost of the housing utilities are high, you really haven’t accomplished that much,” says Myrtle Houchens, former resident and current member of the Kindlewood Advisory Committee. “This will really, really, really allow the sustainability of the housing piece, [through] low-cost, energy-efficient homes.”

Brooks Wellmon, director of development and communications for PHA, says Kindlewood’s focus on sustainability marks an important shift in the conversation around affordable housing. 

“Often when we’re developing housing, affordable housing for low-income individuals, cost is the primary factor, and so things like environmental sustainability, efficiency, green features often fall to the wayside,” she says. “This program, this project, is really a model of how we can combine something that’s good for the planet, that saves our residents money, and is still in a safe, affordable housing development.

Phase two of construction at Kindlewood is expected to begin in early 2024. Plans for the housing development include early learning and community centers, the former of which will be open to all of Charlottesville. Other elements include the creation of an additional park, which will eventually be deeded to the city.

With less than a week to go before Election Day, voters have either already cast their ballots or are preparing to head to the polls. Ahead of November 7, we take a look at local and legislative races, party control of the state legislature, and what different outcomes could mean for the Charlottesville area.

After an exciting primary season, local legislative elections are expected to be relatively routine. “Both of our legislative chambers are pretty safely Democratic,” says Miles Coleman from the University of Virginia Center for Politics’ Crystal Ball.

While Crystal Ball focuses on national races, Coleman offered his personal insight into the upcoming elections. He says those to watch include the 55th District House of Delegates race and the Albemarle County School Board at-large election.

Around Charlottesville, voters will cast their ballots in either the 54th or 55th House of Delegates District. Katrina Callsen is running unopposed in the 54th, while in the 55th, Democrat Amy Laufer is heavily favored against Republican Steve Harvey.

“Maybe the Republicans are looking to make a play at District 55,” says Coleman. “But to me, that is a seat that Youngkin got 44 percent of the vote … that’s probably your Republican ceiling. And if they do any better than that, that may catch my attention.”

In Albemarle County, voters will decide between Allison Spillman and Meg Bryce for the Albemarle County School Board at-large seat, a race where both candidates have spent unusually large amounts of money: Spillman and Bryce respectively raised $111,462 and $106,559 as of September 30, 2023, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Beyond spending, the contest interests Coleman because of its quasi-partisan nature. “It’s technically a non-partisan race, but it’s sort of caught my attention that it’s almost become a partisan race,” he says. Throughout her campaign, Spillman has aligned herself with Democratic values, and framed Bryce as a conservative due to both her platform and father, late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. “Even in a non-partisan race, it’s a very steep climb for a candidate who’s been sort of labeled as a conservative, fairly or not,” he says.

He doesn’t have a prediction for the ACPS school board at-large election, but Coleman says, “I think the general trend of the area has sort of hurt [Bryce]. I think just 10 years ago or so Albemarle County was more of a marginal political area. … Now it’s more like a 65 [to] 70 percent Democratic area.”

In the state Senate, Coleman expects incumbent Creigh Deeds to easily beat his Republican challenger Philip Hamilton in the newly drawn 11th District.

While both chambers of the state legislature are up for grabs, Coleman predicts the Democrats will likely retain control of the state Senate. “If you look at the 2021 governor breakdown, Youngkin, even though he won in 2021, would have only carried 20 of the 40 seats in the state Senate,” he says. “All Democrats have to do, assuming they win all of the [former governor] McAuliffe districts, which I think they’re in decent shape to pull along … [is] pull off one of those close Youngkin seats.”

In the Virginia House of Delegates, party control is more of a toss up. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the chamber, but that could change if competitive legislative races fall in Democrats’ favor.

“One dynamic I would look for on election night is if it’s sort of a wave election for one party or the other, a lot of the toss-up seats will break just one way or the other,” says Coleman. “I will say generally, that the kind of sources we talk to, it seems like the Democrats are sort of cautiously optimistic that they’ll take both chambers, while the Republicans keep emphasizing that there are just a lot of close races.”

With several legislators retiring, Deeds will soon be the second-most senior member of his caucus. If Democrats retain control of the state Senate, this puts Deeds in a powerful position to advocate for the region.

Charlottesville will have two new representatives in the House of Delegates, which could make getting funding more difficult. “I’m interested to see if those new members are gonna be able to look out for the area and bring home bacon as opposed to some of the more senior members,” says Coleman. “It’s always better to be in the majority, just in terms of passing your agenda. So if the Democrats take the majority, I’ll say broadly, that that would probably be … in favor of the Charlottesville-Albemarle area.”

For more information on polling locations and hours, visit elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/polling-place-lookup/

Local politicians, authors, and readers alike turned out to the Downtown Mall to visit the Banned Bookmobile on October 18.  

Across Virginia, the number of book challenges has risen dramatically in recent years, with several school systems pulling content and local governments, including the Warren County Board of Supervisors, restricting library funding over titles.

In Charlottesville, controversy exploded this summer after an unauthorized recording of Johnson Elementary School students reading ABC Pride by Louie Stowell and Elly Barnes was aired on Fox “Primetime” with Jesse Waters. During the Banned Bookmobile’s stop on the Downtown Mall, event organizers and local leaders spoke about how book challenges most frequently target LGBTQ and Black and brown authors and stories.

“I believe that we all deserve a variety of books,” said Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, author of My Monticello, in a speech in front of the Banned Bookmobile. “Books that reflect part of us back to ourselves like a mirror, and books that let us in on the experiences of other people, who may look or live or love differently than we do, like windows.” 

“Book bans are being used not like a shield, but like a weapon. Injuring communities, consolidating power in the hands of a few, and taking away the freedom of countless others to choose for themselves and their children what they would like to read,” Johnson said. “Book banning is part of a larger effort to police whose stories get to matter.”

Started by progressive political action group MoveOn, the Banned Bookmobile was created in response to the popularization of book bans by Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. By handing out commonly challenged books and sharing stories of their impact, MoveOn hopes to increase awareness of censorship efforts and access to controversial literature.

“Charlottesville is in a really key location, both for a lot of the local elections and also for the state election,” said Mana Kharrazi, rapid response campaign director at MoveOn. “We’ve had a great experience with the folks here in the community and the leaders and those who are candidates coming out and just all universally being in support of books and the freedom to read and the freedom to learn.”

Despite limited local appetite for bans, upcoming legislative and local elections could determine the viability of future book challenges.

Currently running unopposed for the 54th District House of Delegates seat, Katrina Callsen, who spoke at the Banned Bookmobile event, shared her pride in Charlottesville’s widespread support for protecting access to books and knowledge. Though she did encounter some calls for censorship while serving on the Albemarle County School Board, Callsen says, “I think we have a really great slate of elected leaders and candidates that have made it so that [book bans are] not really a big issue in our community.”

Other local candidates shared their concerns about censorship. “I think banning books denies kids part of our human experience,” says Allison Spillman, candidate for the Albemarle County School Board at-large seat. “I think that it’s the mission of our public schools to teach all kids from all backgrounds, all ethnicities, all identities, and they need to see themselves in the materials that they’re reading.”

Spillman’s opponent Meg Bryce emphasized her own opposition to book banning in a message to C-VILLE. “We shouldn’t shield students from ‘thorny subjects,’” she wrote. “They should read about a time when racism was tolerated, precisely so that they may recognize the evil and how many people were complicit in it. There may be reasons that a parent has a concern over a particular book for their child, in which case they may contact the school to request an alternative. Current ACPS policy allows for this, and I am comfortable with the existing policy.”

In the 55th District House of Delegates race, candidates Amy Laufer and Steve Harvey hold distinct views on book banning.

“We know that this extreme agenda is trying to erase history and give us a narrow view of life,” says Laufer, who attended the October 18 event. “As everyone keeps saying, ‘Let stories be told and heard.’ And this is the only way to build community, hearing other people’s perspectives.”

Though opposed to book banning, Harvey does support “the curation of books for elementary schools.” 

“I believe there should be transparent and judicious processes for determining which books are appropriate for the various age groups,” he wrote in a statement to C-VILLE. “Parents, teachers, librarians, and the School Board should be involved in the curation process.”

Beyond offering an opportunity for candidates to share their platforms and concerns about censorship, the Banned Bookmobile’s visit gave young readers an opportunity to pick up some new materials.

“I just really wanted to come, too,” says Lennox, a local elementary schooler who attended the event with her mom and younger brother. “I just really love reading books.”

In a surprise move, the Albemarle County School Board voted unanimously to extend Superintendent Matthew Haas’ contract on October 12 despite a petition calling for the administrator’s removal. Neither the discussion of the administrator’s contract or the vote were listed on the meeting’s agenda.  

At the sparsely attended meeting, some school board members expressed their support for Haas and directly acknowledged the petition. “The reasons cited in that petition are either erroneous in attributing [decisions] to Matt, or show a misunderstanding of the issues,” said Kate Acuff, vice-chair and Jack Jouett magisterial district representative. Specifically, Acuff addressed the petition’s criticism of Haas’ role in the school renaming process, which was prompted and approved by the school board.

Other members of the board echoed these sentiments, arguing that Haas brings stability to the district and cannot be solely blamed for issues noted in the petition.

“I know that this school district needs the stability that Dr. Haas brings for the next number of years to continue to move us forward,” said Rebecca Berlin, White Hall magisterial district appointee. “I’ve spoken to a number of constituents, a large number of teachers, a large number of parents in the last year, and everyone feels like we have the momentum moving forward.”

The “Hire a New ACPS Superintendent” petition was started on August 20 by ACPS parent Paul McArtor, and quickly garnered signatures from other community members concerned about Haas’ performance as superintendent. Signees took issue with Haas’ handling of transportation, the school renaming process, the achievement gap, and communication. Also mentioned was Haas’ “failure to understand and consider ramifications” during the bus driver shortage, when the district informed parents and guardians of bus seat limitations mere weeks before the start of the school year.

“Dr. Haas has lost the confidence and trust of the public, including parents, teachers, bus drivers, staff, administrators, and students,” reads the petition, which gained 1,644 supporters before being closed. 

While the petition cites many points of contention, no potential solutions or alternate courses of action were given besides replacing Haas.

Haas addressed the school board following the vote to extend his contract, saying, “My job is a humbling job, I am not perfect, and that is why I make it a point to learn something new everyday. Many days I don’t have a choice. It’s also why I am so focused on ensuring that our leaders and staff have the resources and support they need to fulfill that mission.” 

For McArtor and other detractors of Haas, the sudden vote came as a surprise and a disappointment. “I think it was a slap in the face for parents and teachers,” he says. “Not only did they do this with no public input, when ACPS loves to send out surveys for everything, but there’s never been a survey of, ‘Hey, do you support the continuation of the superintendent? Or do you think he’s doing a good job?’”

At press time, ACPS had not responded to a request for comment on the exclusion of the contract vote from the school board meeting agenda.

While McArtor is upset with the board’s decision to keep Haas on as superintendent, he is committed to improving ACPS through oversight. “There’s not a wish or a desire for him to continue failing at his position, because … if he’s succeeding, the school system is succeeding and my kids are succeeding,” he says. “But … the shortfalls have been noticed. And he’s definitely under much more of a watchful eye than he was before.”