May 28, 2025: Duncan and Shreve answer questions at Free Enterprise Forum event
Plus: The executive director of Virginia Humanities outlines how the agency is reacting to massive federal cuts
There are echoes of the past in what is happening now. On this day in 1950, the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported that both Albemarle County and Charlottesville were too affluent to receive financial assistance from the Commonwealth of Virginia for school construction. Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson were able to apply. This is the type of story that Charlottesville Community Engagement strives to provide and perhaps there will be one like it in this May 28, 2025 edition. I’m Sean Tubbs and I try to see how all of this fits together.
In today’s installment:
The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority adopts a $10.5 million budget for FY2026
Virginia Humanities will lay off a quarter of its work force and vacate office space at Dairy Central
Charlottesville’s Bike Month will conclude Saturday with a bike parade around downtown
A snapshot of a candidate forum for Albemarle’s Jack Jouett District between Sally Duncan and David Shreve
Outgoing Jack Jouett District Supervisor endorses one of those two candidates
First shout-out: Get to know ReLeaf!
In today’s first subscriber-supported announcement: ReLeaf Cville seeks to help restore the amount of the city that is covered by trees. Here are some of their efforts since 2022.
• Planted over 300 trees particularly in neighborhoods with low tree cover, including 10th and Page and Rose Hill. Most recently in the Woolen Mills, working with the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, the group will have planted 140 trees to help keep the Rivanna River clean. Their teenage group, the Green Team, helped with the Woolen Mills plantings
• Started a three-year Tree Preservation Program with a $189.9K grant from Virginia Department of Forestry to provide free tree care to 28 Fifeville homeowners to help preserve 48 mature trees this winter.
• Educated over 540 students about the value of trees and nature in the City and developing a Green Team of 15 teenagers every year. This group is taught about the value of trees and nature in the City. After teaching them how to approach people going door – to- door, they canvas the neighborhoods asking if we can plant trees in homeowners yards. This winter the Green Team, working with the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, is removing invasive plants and plant new tree seedlings to refurbish forested areas.
• Environmental Education Summit. With a grant from Clean Virginia, in March the group held a summit with over 40 organizations involved in environmental education
Rivanna Solid Waste Authority adopts budget for FY2026
The official government entity responsible for providing municipal solid waste service in Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville is the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority.
On May 27, the entity adopted a $10.5 million operating budget for the next fiscal year even though the RSWA only expects to bring in about $5.5 million in revenue from operations.
“We're anticipating a net loss of nearly $5 million,” said Lonnie Wood, the director of finance and information technology for the RSWA.
The difference is made up from contributions from Albemarle, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia. Albemarle will pay $4 million, Charlottesville will pay $844,850, and UVA will pay $79,982.
Wood said the tipping fees for municipal solid waste will increase from $58 a ton to $60 a ton. That will generate an additional $200,000 in revenue, but there are many areas where revenues are increasing. Many costs are expected to go up.
“We do anticipate the bulky clean fill program is slowing down a bit and that will have a reduction in revenue of $125,000,” Wood said. “Recycling material sales and material sales are decreasing a little bit. A lot of that is due to the price per unit of fiber, plastic and [metal] cans.”
The RSWA’s capital improvement program includes funding for a new “convenience center” in northern Albemarle County as well as a new baling facility to handle discarded paper and cardboard. Unlike the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, the RSWA does not take on debt to pay for capital projects.
There were no speakers during the public hearing.
Virginia Humanities to vacate Dairy Central, reduce staff by 25 percent
The second presidency of Donald Trump has ushered in a new age where the federal government has retreated from much of the role it has played for decades. This has resulted in many people losing their jobs including a quarter of the workforce of Virginia’s official state humanities council.
“Sweeping federal cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the NEH’s network of Congressionally-founded and mandated state and territorial humanities councils poses an existential threat to the work these councils do across the country,” said Matthew Gibson, executive director Virginia Humanities, in a May 27 letter to supporters.
In early April, the organization announced that an expected $1.7 million in previously appropriated federal funds were canceled by the administration. Gibson said that will mean cutbacks including six lay-offs and a decision not to fill vacant positions.
“This includes several open positions we will not be filling including our Virginia Indian Programming Coordinator and two Center for the Book positions,” Gibson said.
The agency will also move out of offices rented at Dairy Central to save money with another UVA department taking over the lease. The 2026 Virginia Festival of the Book will continue but the annual event will be smaller than in the past.
Gibson said the loss of funding has caused Virginia Humanities to focus on core questions and to make structural changes. One of these is the creation of a Programs and Education division to include the Encyclopedia Virginia project, the Virginia Center for the Book, and the agency’s educational programs.
To learn more about the changes, read Gibson’s letter on the Virginia Humanities’ website.
Bike Month to conclude Saturday with parade
Charlottesville’s annual festival of pedal-drive vehicles will conclude on Saturday with a 1.3 mile ride through downtown beginning at 9 a.m.
"Charlottesville has really amazed us with their participation in Bike Month this year and we are thrilled to cap off the month with an epic, inclusive celebration of biking for all ages and experience levels," an information release quotes Tommy Safranek, Bike & Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Charlottesville.
Bike riders of all skill levels are encouraged to decorate their bikes and dress in costume for the celebratory ride. People who don’t have bikes can check with Safranek for a loaner or the Cville E-Bike lending library.
"This is a special opportunity to take up space in a safe way and to show the greater community that bikes are an important part of our city culture and its future,” Safranek said.
The ride begins at a Parks and Recreation tent on the western side of the City Market.
Endeavor Cycles will hold an E-bike demonstration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the City Market as part of the event.
Second shout-out: Supporting the Keswick Heritage Fund’s Love Better Project
The Keswick Heritage Fund is a partnership of several churches in Albemarle County that provides education support and opportunities for professional development. One of their outreach programs is the Love Better Project, which provides scholarships to Black students in the Keswick area. The fund was created soon after the inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2020.
Grace Episcopal Church, Union Grove Baptist, Union Run Baptist, Zion Hill Baptist and St. John Church are united for growth through community partnership and education. To learn more about the fund, the scholarships, and the churches themselves, visit their website at keswickheritagefund.com.
Duncan and Shreve answer questions at Free Enterprise Forum
There are less than three weeks until the June 17 primary that features nomination contests in Albemarle and Charlottesville. The Virginia Public Access Project reports that 812 votes in Charlottesville have cast ballots so far.
In Albemarle County, 1,318 voters have had their say so far. Two Democrats are seeking the Jack Jouett District seat being vacated by Supervisor Diantha McKeel.
For those who haven’t made up their mind, the Free Enterprise Forum held a forum on May 14 at which both Sally Duncan and David Shreve appeared.
Duncan is a school teacher and she had the first opening statement. She said she was running to represent people who rent rather than own a home, calling that an underrepresented demographic in local government.
“Almost 70 percent of the Jack Jouett District is made up of renters,” Duncan said. “We have a lot of people in this district who work and who are working parents. I think we need more people like me in these positions. I think our community benefits when we have a wide variety of perspectives, making decisions.”
Duncan said her experiences raising five children as well as teaching have given her skills that would be valuable in local government.
“I know how to find and understand a wide variety of perspectives, can figure out how to get a lot of different people to work together, and can help create a community where people like each other can get along and even have fun with each other,” Duncan said.
David Shreve, an economist by trade, said he made a decision early in his life to dedicate his career to public policy.
“Since that time in the late 1970s, I've been a political activist, a grassroots organizer, a teacher,” Shreve said. “I also became a specialist in what you might call fiscal policy, looking especially at the way the federal, state and local governments work together, or do not.”
Shreve has lived in the area since the late 1990’s. He said he studied economics and history in order to understand problems from different perspectives.
“I thought a lot of the answers we were seeking could be found in that gap about theoretical studies, but connecting them to real lives and how people actually live and operate businesses and work and so on and so forth,” Shreve said.
The first question was about housing. Moderator Neil Williamson stated that the Charlottesville region is expected to add about 2,000 residents a year.
“How do you see Albemarle accommodating their portion of this regional growth?” Williamson asked.
Shreve acknowledged Albemarle has a housing crisis.
“I don't think we have a shortage of housing, but more a misallocation of housing,” Shreve said. “Now, that doesn't mean we won't have to build. We're going to have to build, but I think we ought to be very serious and sincere about how we do that. And I don't think we can leave it to the marketplace.”
Shreve suggested one solution may be for local jurisdictions to build their own housing to reduce costs and increase accessibility.
Duncan said everyone he talks to is concerned about housing affordability and her solution is to encourage more residential construction.
“We need to increase our housing supply by building more homes,” Duncan said. “We also need a streamlined process that allows homes to be built, you know, more efficiently and maybe a little quicker. And then national best practices like having a housing trust fund, a community land trust, and developer incentives that really work to get more affordable homes.”
Duncan said if the county doesn’t build more homes, property assessments will continue to rise thus increasing tax burden for homeowners.
The second question sought the candidates’ positions on the centerpiece of economic development efforts in Albemarle County. In May 2023, Supervisors agreed to spend $58 million to acquire 462 acres around Rivanna Station for a future campus for defense and intelligence companies.
“Did you support this acquisition and what, if any, role should Albemarle play in developing the property?” asked Jane Foy, the other moderator. “What specific type of economic development do you see as possible, possible to alleviate reliance on property taxes?”
In her response, Duncan said she supported the land purchase but did not go into any details about what the county refers to as Rivanna Futures. She does support economic development.
“I think the role of the supervisor is to responsibly and thoughtfully advocate for economic growth and tax diversification and not just say that economic growth is bad,” Duncan said.
Shreve said he did support the land purchase as an investment in property. He also said he also wanted to help diversify Albemarle’s revenue sources, but added that most localities in the country receive most of their funding through the real estate tax.
“We should understand that many of the taxes that businesses bear and pay are passed on to their consumers or their workers,” Shreve said. “And so in a sense, it's best to look at your tax structure as something being paid by residents in general, whether it comes through property tax, sales tax, or some other vehicle, and figure out how to parse it fast, fairly.”
The third question asked whether the candidates supported the recent real estate tax rate increase approved by the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.
Shreve said he was neutral on the rate increase.
“It is important to always remember when you're looking at property taxes in general, the rate is sort of irrelevant,” Sherve said. “If your assessments are changing dramatically, you could keep the rate stable, you could drop it. But if your assessments are increasing, you're still going to pay more taxes.”
Duncan said she did support the rate increase because the additional revenue went to public safety, housing, and schools.
“Government is really a last resource for people,” Duncan said. “We're kind of like the final social safety net.”
In a behind-the-scenes mea culpa, the video and audio recorded for the event cuts off at this point so there are five other questions. I’ll work with the Free Enterprise Forum to see if I can get the rest to you.
McKeel endorses Duncan in Jack Jouett race
The person who has held the Jack Jouett seat on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors since 2014 has weighed in on who would prefer to see as a replacement.
“I enthusiastically endorse Sally Duncan, candidate for the Jack Jouett District’s seat on the Board of Supervisors,” said Diantha McKeel in a statement released by the Duncan campaign on May 27.
Here’s the rest of McKeel’s statement:
“Sally has demonstrated the ability to ask questions, listen, and do the necessary work to learn and lead. Sally advocates, as I have, for key policies that will benefit our community: affordable housing, transit, education, public safety, and economic growth to lessen the dependence on real property taxes.
“I am confident Sally, if elected, will be an effective and compassionate leader, building community and celebrating the amazing diversity of the Jack Jouett District.”
Reading material:
Nelson County Sheriff’s Office highlights concerns after Crabtree Falls rescue and death, Pimm Dyar, CBS19 News, May 27, 2025
CHO says things running smoothly since REAL ID went into effect, Sarah Allen, CBS19, May 27, 2025
Youngkin vetoes $1.37M for Biscuit Run trail in Albemarle County, Caroline King, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), May 28, 2025
Harris Road apartment complex developer has until April 2026 to move forward, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, May 28, 2025
The end point of #871
I’m so nervous as I type this. In less than two hours I’ll be on the stage at the Hillsdale Conference Center to be one of two moderators for a campaign forum. I’ll be fine once I’m there, but since the pandemic I’m more phobic about being around people.
Yet I’ll do it and I know it will be over in just over three hours. I’m glad to do the work, and I’ll get that story out tomorrow or Friday. I’m hoping the questions will yield good answers and will let me see how the candidates think on their feet.
The Free Enterprise Forum hired me to do record their candidate events back in 2005. That’s when I was trying to see where the Charlottesville Podcasting Network would take me. Here’s a link to the Jack Jouett District candidate forum from October 10, 2005.
Want to learn more about that election? There’s a page on cvillepedia for that, and it’s odd to realize I’ve been doing this now for over twenty years.
Yet I’m still nervous. I’m not kind of person who trusts in my ability, because doubt is my superpower. Doubt is what keeps me from getting overconfident because I’ve crashed like Icarus so many times now.
Being human is messy and difficult but I embrace my flaws in a way that borders on celebration. Much of our culture is built on self-congratulation and an infatuation with greatness. My version of the humanities is one that is more Bukowski than Beethoven, and one day I hope to finally capture more people’s voices in a way that will document these times of ours. We’ll be gone one day, and what will we leave behind?
I’m hopeful I continue to get people interested in local civics, public policy, culture, and the like. That’s why I do this, I suppose.
I certainly don’t do it for the attention, because being on a stage makes me very nervous the same way it did when I was 11 and my acting dreams disintegrated when a kid in the front row made fun of me the whole time.
What if that kid shows up tonight?
Anyway.
I’m just getting into a band called The Intelligence. Here’s them on KEXP from 2016.