QUESTIONNAIRE FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CANDIDATES

2013 Candidate Questionnaire

Candidates For the Board of Supervisors

in the Northern District and Greater Tappahannock District

Please complete and return this Questionnaire to essexcountysunshine@gmail.com not later than

noon on Saturday 19 June 2013.

Question1:  Have you served in previous elected office?  YES or NO.

                        If YES, please describe the position titles of the Elected Office(s) you have held or now hold.

Question 2:  Have you filed Campaign Financial Reports?  YES or NO.

                        If so, have all donations, in-kind goods and services, and loans been reported?  YES or NO.  If NO, please explain in 50 words or less.

                        Have all your expenditures been reported?  YES or NO.  If NO please explain in 50 words or less.

Question 3: Have you publically or privately taken any oaths or pledged to support or take any specific actions, if you are elected, on any financial or policy issues that may come before the Board?  YES or NO.  If YES please explain each oath and/or pledge you have taken.

Question 4. The School Board is required by law to submit a "needs based annual budget."  The "needs based budget" does not automatically increase school funding.  However, it ensures that the public is well informed of the funding requirements believed to be necessary to provide a high quality education to our students, to comply with federal, state, and local, laws and regulations, and provide a safe school environment.  Do you believe that the Board of Supervisors should voluntarily adopt a needs based Essex Country Government Budget to improve openness, accountability, and transparency?  YES or NO.  Please explain your answer in 200 words or less.

Question 5.  Do you believe that Essex County has: 1) effectively used technology to increase efficiency and provide better service to our County Citizens and 2) has adequately invested in new technology and communications?  YES OR NO to each part of the question.  Please explain your beliefs with a single answer of 200 words or less.

Question 6. Should more emphasis and resources (staff and equipment) be placed on preventative maintenance and preservation of the Essex County owned real property and equipment?  YES OR NO.  Explain your answer in 150 words or less.

Question 7. What do you consider to be the three greatest challenges to improving economic development and community development of Essex County?

                       Please list, in your descending order of importance, and explain each challenge you identified and a summary of your proposed solution to that challenge in 120 words or less for each challenge.

Question 8. Do you consider funding for Public Safety (Fire Department, Sheriff's Department, and Emergency Medical Services) to be adequate?  YES OR NO.  Please explain and justify your answer in 150 words or less.

Question 9. Regardless of your answer to Question 7, do you believe that additional safety programs for our elderly and disabled citizens, such as TRIAD, should be implemented and the County Budget increased to provide those safety services?   YES or NO.  Please explain your answer is 50 words or less.

Question 10.  This is your opportunity as a candidate to tell the public why you believe you should be reelected or elected for the first time to the Essex County Board of Supervisors.  You are asked NOT ATTACK YOUR OPPONENT (if opposed).  You have a limit of 250 words to justify you candidacy and attempt to convince the citizens' to vote for you.

Open government and transparency are essential components of effective, efficient, and successful local government.  The information which you provided to our Essex County Voters in the questionnaire will help our citizens to decide who to vote for in the election on Tuesday November 5.

John Clickener

Publisher, ESO