April 16, 2024: Good outraises McGuire in latest campaign finance report for Fifth District Republican race
April 16, 2024: Good outraises McGuire in latest campaign finance report for Fifth District Republican race
Plus: The city is looking to ways to stop excessive dog waste at Jenkins Park
In previous years, many editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement began with an acknowledgment of what special events were associated with the day of publication. It has been over a hundred days since I have resorted to that particular trick as a prompt to launch into writing. Do I really want to go back to that parlor game, or do I merely want to point out that I really do in fact love eggs benedict and today’s breakfast order was a mere coincidence? I’m Sean Tubbs, and now it is on to the writing!
In today’s installment:
The two Republicans seeking nomination to Virginia’s Fifth District turn in campaign finance reports, while only one of three Democrats filed a report and owes money
The sustainability office at the University of Virginia makes eleven awards to individual and groups working toward climate action goals
There’s a problem with excessive dog waste being left at the city’s newest park
The Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Department continues work toward on a master plan
A look at some of the 116 bills amended by Governor Glenn Youngkin that will go back before the General Assembly tomorrow
First shout-out: Charlottesville Area Alliance holding webinar on Community Support
In today’s first subscriber-supported shout-out, the Charlottesville Area Alliance is an organization created in 2015 that is made up of several groups that seek to make the community the most age-friendly community in the country. Toward that goal, they’ve begun a series of free webinars on resources on local support and services available to seniors, caregivers of those with long-term illness, and those needing care.
On April 25, the Jefferson Area Board for Aging, most commonly called JABA, will give a presentation on what they have to offer to the community. Register for the event on Zoom here.
Good only slightly outraises McGuire in primary fight for 5th District
Democrat in race spent more money than raised
Republican voters in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District and those pretending to be will go to the polls on June 18 to decide if incumbent Bob Good should be nominated for a third term, or if recently elected state Senator John McGuire should have a chance in the general election.
McGuire entered the Congressional race last November just eight days after being elected to represent Senate District 10. He has challenged Good’s commitment to conservatism and initial lack of support for former President Donald Trump’s bid for a second term.
Both candidates had until Monday at midnight to turn in a quarterly report to the Federal Election Commission for campaign finance activity for the year to date.
Good raised a total of $307,616.56 from January 1 to March 31 of this year with $258,891.55 coming from individuals and $48,725.01 came from political action committees. The total amount received for the entire campaign to date is $860,322.19.
The Good campaign spent $136,235.40 and disbursed another $13,700 during the three months and ended the period with $427,342.03 on hand. (view data on Good)
McGuire raised a total of $290,326.04 for the period with $130,018.31 coming from individuals in the first three months of the year and refunded $100 of that. Another $160,306.99 came from political action committees.
During the quarter, McGuire’s campaign spent $140,314.58 and had $351,812.63 in cash on hand as of March 31. (view data on McGuire)
There are three Democrats seeking the nomination in the June 13, 2024, but only one has turned in the campaign finance report
Gloria Witt of Amherst County raised $2,935 in the first three months for a total of $4,735 for the entire campaign to date. However, the campaign has also spent a total of $6,172.21 meaning the campaign had a negative balance of $1,437.21.
Other candidates who have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission but did not turn in the campaign finance report are Paul Riley and Gary Terry.
The deadline for additional candidates for the primary was April 4 according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
A lingering question for me is why no Democrats with experience opted to make an attempt.
UVA makes eleven sustainability awards for activities in 2023
As the University of Virginia seeks to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals envisioned in its 2030 Sustainability Plan, the department tasked with overseeing progress celebrates accomplishments along the way.
Earlier this month, the Office of Sustainability announced their annual awards to groups and individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the mission.
“These winners exemplify innovation and passion in work related to civic engagement, stewardship of the built and natural environment, discovery through teaching and/or research, and governance and collaboration,” reads an April 2, 2024 press release.
The awards have been handed out since 2017.
For 2023, there are four student awards.
A trio who are part of the UVA Decarbonization Academy designed five “forest patches” and organized an effort to plant 100 trees. They are Leah Germain, Madeline Morphis, and Olivia Vargo.
The president of Food Assist, Garreth Bartholomew, organized an effort through the UVA Community Food Pantry that repurposed over 20,000 pounds of unused food waste from UVA and local restaurants for those in need.
London Tuma obtained a grant from the Sustainable Food Collaborative to cover the cost of improvements to the composting system in first-year dorms to address accessibility issues.
The entire Graduate Biomedical Engineering Society completed a process to get Green Lab Gold certification for 11 of their labs. This program was created in 2016 to get students to think about how to make research practices more sustainable. Learn more about the program here.
There was one faculty award which went to civil and environmental engineering professor Lisa Colosi Peterson. She helped design the UVA Decarbonization Academy which immerses students in sustainability-related projects at UVA.
There were four staff awards:
Rebecca Duff was a co-leader in efforts to create 2030 sustainability goals for the Darden School of Business which included creating and co-chairing a new Sustainability Advisory Council. Duff also directed the Sustainability Research Initiative at Darden
Michael Duffy is the fleet manager for Facilities Management office and oversaw conversion of 13% of vehicles to electrics. That led to UVA being ranked 28th on the 2023 list of fleet management association NAFA’s Green Fleet Awards.
Linda Hanson launched a medical education conference at the School of Nursing called Protecting Health in a Changing Climate. The last one was held on April 13 with the topic Rising Heat and Health in Virginia and itself would make a good story.
Ryan McCarthy in the Facilities Management office is helping to reduce food waste. One initiative under his watch is the creation of the FM Snack Pantry designed to help UVA staff members mitigate food insecurity.
There were two community awards, one of which went to the Community Climate Collaborative for their advocacy work related to approval of the Woodridge Solar project in Albemarle County. Loaves and Fishes was honored for distributing 2.5 million pounds of food in 2023 including some captured from area grocery stores.
Westhaven residents raise concern over excessive dog waste at Jenkins Park
The Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee will meet this Thursday to get an update on the ongoing master plan for the department.
In March, the group discussed issues that have sprung up at Jenkins Park, a smaller space recently constructed on city-owned land in the 10th and Page neighborhood.
“The precipitating event was just a lot of dog waste in the park,” said Planning Commission Chair Hosea Mitchell.
The website for Jenkins Park on the city’s website lists two amenities - benches and open space. Mitchell said the idea is for it to be a passive park for area residents to relax in, including those in Westhaven.
“The residents think that they are having a difficult time relaxing there because the poop makes it uncomfortable and to some degree unsafe for the kids,” Mitchell said.
According to materials presented in March, Jenkins Park is 0.4 acres. There are also two chess/checker boards, a trash can and a dog waste station. The park is also built at the nexus of several stormwater lines and there’s concern that bacteria in the dog waste will go straight into the watershed.
Mitchell said the issue is prompting further discussion about revisiting the ordinance related to dogs in parks as well as planning for an additional dog park.
At Jenkins Park, the city is planning on adding more to the park including two picnic tables and a structure to provide shade. They’ll also install additional trash cans as well as signage informing people about harm to the environment by leaving dog waste on the ground.
Charlottesville continuing to develop new Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Charlottesville is in the midst of the public input process for a new master plan to guide the future of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Master plans are a chance to determine what new amenities will be built and whether new facilities are needed.
“The purpose of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan is to guide the City of Charlottesville for the next 10 years and provide strategic direction and vision to meet current and emerging public needs, as well as remain the primary steward of the significant natural, cultural, and historic resources,” reads the
If you’re interested in getting involved and offering your input in person, there are four upcoming events:
Sunday, April 21, 2024 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Crow Recreation Center at 1700 Rose Hill Drive
Sunday, April 28, 2024 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Jenkins Park at 200 8th Street NW
Saturday, May 4, 2024 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Booker T. Washington Park at 1001 Preston Avenue
Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Forest Hills Park at 1022 Forest Hills Avenue
Each is intended to have other activities for friends and family who aren’t as interested in the promulgation of public policy.
“Each event will feature a fun-filled afternoon with games and activities, music, bounce houses, food, raffles and more,” the website continues.
The city hired the firm PROS Consulting to do the work, as I reported last November.
Second shout-out: RCA launches Forest Health and Resilience Project
In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out: The Rivanna Conservation Alliance and community partners have launched a new collaborative effort called the Rivanna River Forest Health and Resilience Project.
Have you ever noticed a tree or an entire forest smothered in vines and wondered what is going on? It’s likely you’re looking at invasive species that have taken over due a lack of natural predators. With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Rivanna River Forest Health and Resilience Project will manage high-risk invasive plants and plant new native trees in high-priority locations in three riverfront parks. The initiative will also work to motivate and support action on these issues by the wider Rivanna River watershed community
To learn more about the initiative and find out how you can volunteer, visit the RCA’s website.
Legislators return to Richmond tomorrow to respond to Youngkin’s vetoes
In a typical year In Virginia, the two houses of the General Assembly meet for a short amount of time in the winter to get as much done before the clock strikes adjournment. Then whoever has been elected as Governor gets to wield a pen to either sign legislation, deny passage through the power of the veto, or offer amendments.
Tomorrow, members of the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate will arrive to respond to 153 vetoed bills and 116 bills that Governor Glenn Youngkin marked up with suggested amendments. The Democratic Party holds very tight majorities in both chambers so it may be difficult to obtain the two-thirds threshold needed to override Youngkin.
The House and Senate will also take up several suggestions including the budget bill which itself has dozens of amendments many of which are technical.
Here are a selection of other changes made by Youngkin which will be dealt with in tomorrow’s reconvened session.
HB215 would have required the Virginia Department of Education to develop training modules related to sexual harassment and the illegality of sex discrimination. Youngkin’s amendment would make that optional.
HB224 would require teachers to go through mental health awareness training to understand the needs of groups at higher risk. The bill included those considered LGBTQ+ but Youngkin’s amendment would strip that language.
HB285 would give local building officials authority to regulate bus shelters smaller than 256 square feet if the project is to receive state money. Youngkin’s amendment would extend the duration of this power from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2027.
HB536 would have amended the definition of student bullying to specify that the definition would apply if the targeted individual or groups are members of groups identified in the Virginia Human Rights Act. Youngkin recommends taking that language out and replacing it with “for any reason.”
HB609 would have created language specifically protecting the right to contraception with several paragraphs of definitions designed to encode this in Virginia law and not the U.S. Constitution. Youngkin removed all of that in favor of a citation of two U.S. Supreme Court cases.
Several amendments ask for the law to have to be approved by the General Assembly a second year. This year those include:
HB416 would alter the make-up of the Virginia Beach City Council to have ten individual member districts plus an elected mayor.
In some cases, Youngkin is requiring a second passage in 2025 in addition to other changes.
HB498 would require localities to notify parents and guardians of their responsibility to store firearms in locked containers. Youngkin added language to require the list of parental rights and responsibilities.
HB568 would have removed tax-exempt status from the recordation fee from several groups associated with Confederate heritage. Youngkin seeks a study of all groups who receive that exemption.
HB812 would discontinue license plates commemorating the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee. Youngkin wants the Department of Motor Vehicles to study the entire designer license plate system and make recommendations on whether sunset provisions should be included.
Several bills related to increasing tenants’ rights also fit under this category including HB588 and HB597.
HB962 would remove all references to the term “alien” in state code. Youngkin wants a work group of the Virginia Code Commission to study the idea before the 2025 General Assembly.
HB1071 would have expanded the power of localities to expand areas where speed limits could be reduced to 15 miles per hour. Youngkin wants further study.
The biennial budget takes the form of HB29 and HB30. Youngkin made a total of 242 amendments and renamed the budget into his own political frame.
“The $64 billion Common Ground Budget eliminates all proposed tax increases, invests a record $21.3 billion in K-12 education, caps tuition increases at 3 percent, includes 3 percent pay raises for teachers and state employees in each year, and increases investments in health and human resources by $3.2 billion over the biennium,” reads Youngkin’s recommendation.
The legislature and Youngkin also continue their political tussle over Virginia’s membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Youngkin signed an executive order on his first day in office to withdraw from the state compact. Democrats argue he can’t do so without new legislation.
A lawsuit to determine if Youngkin can withdraw is still pending in Floyd County, but Youngkin’s amendments to the budget bill strip out language requiring Virginia to rejoin RGGI.
Reading material:
Nelson County supervisors hold public hearing on comprehensive plan, Emily Barber, Nelson County Times, April 3, 2024
Bennett's Village breaking ground on treehouse, CBS19 News, April 3, 2024
Audit finds flaws -- and undelivered mail -- at Postal Service’s new processing facility in Virginia, Associated Press, April 3, 2024
As she closes her shop, Charlottesville potter Nan Rothwell prepares to glaze a new trail, Jane Sathe, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 4, 2024
Full house for first Nelson County town hall meeting, Emily Barber, Nelson County Times, April 10, 2024
University Police increase e-scooter traffic stop citations, Pratha Patel and Caroline Hagood, Cavalier Daily, April 11, 2024
Prosecutor drops case against Charlottesville man accused of groping woman on Rivanna Trail, Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 11, 2024
Amherst schools hope veto of sales tax referendum bill can be reversed, Justin Faulconer, Lynchburg News and Advance, April 13, 2024
Albemarle County teachers win collective bargaining rights, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), April 14, 2024
Could more development density be on the way in Rosslyn?, Scott McCaffrey, Gazette Leader, April 15, 2024
Will you still read this if it is #664?
Perhaps all of this work is just me playing out my boyhood fantasies of being a political scientist? I had coffee with someone this morning who wanted to know how I keep track of everything, and it is just sheer curiosity coupled with the practice of journalism.
Seventeen years ago tomorrow, I began work at a non-profit organization in this community that gave me a salary to cover my early days learning about zoning and local issues. I reluctantly took the job and wasn’t sure how anyone would ever be interested in what I would be writing.
Now I’m doing my best to write what I can about government at all levels as best as I can. I do this because I see enough potential for a viable business that can grow. I also believe that people who live in a democracy should know what’s happening and there’s a need for non-partisan players to pay attention and keep track.
But I don’t do this to keep score. Even today’s campaign finance report is not intended to document a horse race. It was simply a way for me to step into a race for a seat in Congress that will be decided on June 18 between two people who share much of the same ideology. I had such hope that a more competitively drawn district would attract other candidates so there could be a space for conversation.
Anyway, running out of time so here’s the pitch in one haiku:
Writing this ain’t cheap
Substack is good way to pay
Ting will match first time
Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
I haven't been down there but I live in the neighborhood. Is there a trash can? Are there dog dookie bags? The city maintains the parks. They'll have to do this one also. Put up signs that threaten a ticket or lost access to the park.