Our Local Election Results and Observations

The final vote certification for Essex County has not been released as of Saturday morning, 9 November.  However, there is no doubt as to who were the successful candidates in all of the local contests.   

Unopposed Offices:

- Penny Davis won the interim election as County Treasurer (30.03% of the eligible vote).

- Keren Ellis won the North District School Board Seat (31.68% of the eligible vote).

- Denise Hammond won the Greater Tappahannock School Board Seat (35.92% of the eligible vote).

Competitive Offices:

- The open At Large School Board Seat was won by Larry Lenz with 59.76% of the actual vote    (only 38.18% of the eligible vote).

- Current Board of Supervisors Chairman Stanley Langford won the Greater Tappahannock Board of Supervisors Seat with 65.55% of the actual vote (only 26.01% of the eligible vote).

- The open Northern District Board of Supervisors Seat was won by Sidney Johnson with 70.64% of the actual vote (only 26.66% of the eligible vote.

Observations:

1.  Qualified candidates won every seat.  Of note, every successful candidate had provided a thoughtful and comprehensive response to the EssexSunshine.Org Candidate Questionnaire, with one exception.  In the North District, neither Mr. Johnson nor his opponent responded to the questionnaire.

2.  Voter turnout was very disappointing.  Only 42% of the eligible Essex County voters cast ballots and many only voted for some of the offices.  The state wide offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General and the 98^thDistrict Delegate's seat were on the ballot, but even those important positions did not stimulate voter turnout.

3.   The next General Election will be in November of 2014.  On our ballot will be the seat of a US Senator, the seat of the US Representative for the 1^stCongressional District, and the Essex County Constitutional Officers (excluding the Clerk of the Court).  Will more than 50% of eligible Essex County voters actually turn out to vote?

4.  The Local Candidate Questionnaire, based upon a number of comments, seems to have been well received.  ESO is planning to conduct a 2014 Local Questionnaire and, if several offices are contested, will plan to schedule a Candidate's Forum.

5.  Candidate transparency and an opportunity for the public to listen to and observe a public discussion of key local issues are believed to contribute to more open and accountable elected officials.

In closing – Our RIGHT TO VOTE in free elections sets our nation apart from much of the world.  Yet based upon the low turnout in this past local election many citizens do not seem to honor, or even care very much about that right.  Please, if you are eligible but not registered to vote, do so NOW!  If you are registered to vote, PLEASE commit to voting in the November 2014 election.  You will be able to vote by absentee ballot up to 45 days before the election.  You will be able to vote at you District Election Site on the day of the election between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM.  WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO IS FAIL TO VOTE.  Your voice should be heard.  You vote will count – but only if you mark a ballot.

John Clickener - Publisher ESO

WHEN IS THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION?

Essex Sunshine has be so focused on the local Board of Supervisors, School Board, and Interim Treasures election on Tuesday November 5^th that I lost track of which candidates will run in future elections and what offices would appear on 2014 Ballot.

 

On October 29^th we posted the blog piece "ELECTION QUESTIONNAIRE PUBLISHED."  In the last paragraph of the section titled "Next Election" we stated that the Constitutional Officers would be on the Ballot in November 2014.  That statement is NOT CORRECT.

 

In November 2014 all of the Constitutional Offices except the Clerk of the Court will be on the Ballot. That will also be a national midterm election and our US Representative seat for the 1^st District and Senator Mark Warner's seat will also be on the ballot.  If the Constitutional Offices are contested, ESO will consider sponsoring a Candidate's Forum.

 

In November 2015 the Central and South District Board of Supervisor seats and the Central and South District School Board seats will be on the ballot.  ESO plans to sponsor a Candidate's Forum prior to the election.

 

We apologize for our error.  We have deleted the error in to our original 10/29 blog post in a manner that is fully transparent.  ESO always acknowledges our errors is a fully transparent manner.  No fictitious names or ghost articles and ad, no baseless accusations or claims, no personal attacks – just a consistent effort to present documented facts and illuminate the shadows.

 

John Clickener - Publisher

ESSEX COUNTY ELECTIONS ON 5 NOVEMBER

Public Service Announcement/News Release

EssexSunshine.Org and the Rappahannock Times have jointly provided comprehensive coverage of the Candidates for Essex County Offices in the Tuesday, November 5^th General Election. 

Complete copies of the Candidate's answers are available on-line at www.essexsunshine.org/election .

 

ESO has reviewed all the local candidates' campaign finance reports and found that all had complied with the filing dates.  It was noted that one candidate had a number of errors on the receipts and disbursements forms and that the in-kind contribution of campaign signs provided by the Republican Committee had not been reported.

 

We want to remind the public that they can still vote by absentee ballot at the General Registrar's Office thru Saturday November 2nd.  The Registrar is located at the old County Administrators Office on the corner of Queen St and Cross Street.

 

Please either vote absentee no later than Saturday or at your regular District Polling location on Tuesday, November 5^th.  Your vote is important!

ELECTION QUESTIONNAIRE PUBLISHED

This Election

Today, Tuesday 29 October, EssexSunshine.Org (ESO) is publishing both on line www.essexsunshine.org/elections and in the Rappahannock Times the list of the candidates for Essex County elected office.  More importantly, the publication includes basic Candidate information and a questionnaire addressing some of the major policy issues which confront the Board of Supervisors, the Treasurer, and the School Board.

ESO sincerely hopes that the information provided by the candidates is helpful to the voters in selecting the candidates who they believe will serve the best interests of Essex County.  We appreciate the time and effort six of the candidates put into preparing their answers in their Questionnaires.  The answers were thoughtful and very clearly demonstrated that those candidates were interested in openness, transparency, and communicating with the citizens of Essex County.

Three of the candidates did not return surveys.  They missed an excellent opportunity to share their goals, governing philosophy, and vision for the future with the voters.  ESO is disappointed that they chose not to answer the questionnaires and thereby kept their candidacy in the shadows rather than campaigning in the Sunshine.

Please vote, either absentee thru this weekend or at your assigned District Polling location on Tuesday November 5^th.  The polls will be open at 6:00 AM and will close at 7:00 PM.  NOTE:  If you are in line to vote when the polls close, you will be able to cast your vote!

Next Election

In many counties, cities, and towns the League of Woman Voters coordinates nonpartisan local Candidate Forums or Debates.  Since we don't have a League in Essex County, ESO had hoped to develop and sponsor a candidate's forum.  It would have provided the citizens of Essex County an opportunity to meet the candidates, listen to their policy and leadership plans, and to ask direct questions concerning their ideas for moving Essex County forward.  In early September, when it became obvious that the logistics, coordination, and publicity required significantly more time, we elected to use a simple elective office base questionnaire as a substitute for the preferred Public Forum.

ESO will begin planning after the general election after 5 November (PLEASE VOTE IN THIS ELECTION on NOV 5) for Candidate Forums during the 2015 General Election.  In 2015 all of the Constitutional Offices will be on the Ballot along with the Central and South District Board of Supervisor seats and the Central and South District School Board seats will be on the ballot.

Note:  The correction of errors immediately above is addressed in the ESO Bog Post dated 31 October above,  That Post also clarifies the offices which will appear on the ballots in Essex County for the November 2014 General Election.

John Clickener - Publisher

TREASURER CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

2013 Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate For Treasurer

Please complete and return this Questionnaire essexcountyshine@gmail.com

not later than

noon on Saturday 19 June 2013.

Question1:  Have you served previously in an 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. Is the staffing of the Treasurer's Office adequate to serve the citizens of Essex County?  YES or NO.  Please explain your answer in 200 words or less.

Question 5.  Does the Treasurer's Office have sufficient space and equipment to operate efficiently?  YES OR NO to each part of the question.  Please explain your beliefs with a single answer of 200 words or less.

Question 6.  Most of the policies and procedures for the operation of the Treasurer's Office are governed by the Code of Virginia and Essex County Ordinances.  Are the any legislative issues which, in your opinion would enable your office to operate more efficiently or improve the quality of service to the citizens of Essex County?  YES or NO.  Please explain your answer in 150 words or less.

Question 7.  This is your opportunity as a candidate to tell the public why you believe you should be elected for the first time as Treasurer of Essex County.  You have a limit of 250 words to justify you candidacy and to convince the citizens' to vote for you.

John Clickener

Publisher, ESO

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES

2013 Candidate Questionnaire

Candidates For the School Board in the

Northern District, Greater Tappahannock District, and At Large

(all Districts)

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 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.

                        Have all 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. Do you believe that teacher turn-over is a problem that impairs the achievement of our students?  YES or NO.  Please explain your answer in 200 words or less.

Question 5.  Do you believe that Essex County Public Schools are adequately funded?  YES OR NO.  Please explain your belief in 200 words or less.

Question 6. What do you consider to be the three greatest challenges to improving the academic achievement of each student with Essex County Public Schools?

                        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 7. Do you consider the arts (music, drama, dance, poetry, and related activities such as debate, Odyssey of the Mind, etc.) to be necessary components of a comprehensive and challenging education program?  YES OR NO.  Please explain and justify your answer in 150 words or less.

Question 8.  Regardless of your answer to Question 7, will you support increased funding for the arts programs?  YES or NO.  Please explain your answer is 50 words or less.

Question 9.  Should more emphasis and resources (staff, equipment, and connectivity) be placed on technology and STEM curricula?  YES OR NO.  Explain your answer in 100 word 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 School Board.  You MAY NOT ATTACK YOUR OPPONENT (if opposed).  You have a limit of 200 words to justify you candidacy and attempt to earn the readers' votes.

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

John Clickener

Publisher, ESO

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

2013 CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE - THE ANNOUNCEMENT

The following Letter to the Editors appeared in the Rappahannock Times on Tuesday 8 October and in the Northern Neck News on Wednesday 9 October.

 

 

Letter to the Editor

 

No Candidates Forum

---------

Editor,

Rappahannock Times (and Northern Neck News):

 

ESO has been considering conducting a Candidates Forum to allow the public to listen to the candidates for local offices.  We felt, in the absence of a local League of Women Voters, who traditionally sponsor candidate events, a non-partisan organization should accept the responsibility of organizing and opportunity for the candidates to appear jointly before our Essex County Voters. 

 

The candidates would provide a detailed explanation of their concerns, their solutions to perceived problems, and initiatives and changes that they would introduce.  The Forum would also allow candidates to compare and contrast their platform with that of the other candidates for similar offices.  Additionally, the public would be able to submit questions for the candidates to answer.

 

Unfortunately we have concluded that there is insufficient time to obtain approval for an appropriate auditorium, obtain an objective and experienced moderator, and obtain and collate public questions from the public.  Therefore, EssexSunshine.Org will not host a Candidates Forum until the 2015 Local and State Wide Legislative Election.

 

For 2013 we will prepare and distribute a questionnaire to each of the Board of Supervisor Candidates, School Board Candidates, and the Candidate for Treasurer.  This will be e-mailed to each candidate by noon Friday, 11 October (with a certified mail backup) and will ask for a completed responses to be returned by e-mail no later than noon on Saturday, 19 October.  The Candidate Questionnaires will also be published and available to the public at essexsunshine.org by noon on 11 October.

 

Participation, or a failure to participate, will be reported in the local media during the week of 20 October.  The completed questionnaires will be published in an unedited format on the ESO web site.  We also hope to publish the responses in the local newspapers.

 

ESO believes that each citizen should be informed of all candidates' positions on budgets, ordinances, policies, staffing, and local economic and community development views.  Candidates can be held accountable if we citizens understand their positions prior to an election.  The candidates' responses will provide a sound basis for evaluating all successful candidate's performance and immediately identify any campaign statements, promises, and plans which not kept.

 

Most importantly, the candidates' responses to the questionnaires will help you select the candidate who you believe will best fulfill the duties of the office they seek.

 

However, none of the foregoing matters if YOUhaven't registered - - OR IF YOU FAIL TO VOTE!  Be a patriot and VOTE!

 

John R. Clickener

Tappahannock

 

What Happened to the Forfeiture Funds?

BACKGROUND: The Code of Virginia, § 19.2-386.22, states that "…all money and property used in substantial connection with the … illegal narcotics can be seized by a law enforcement agency."  The Forfeited Asset Sharing Program is governed by § 19.23-386.1-14 and the instructions for the receipt, management, and expenditure of Forfeited Asset Funds (FAF) are contained in the "Forfeited Asset Sharing Program Manual" published by the Department of Criminal Justice Services ( www.dcjs.virginia.gov ).  The funds described above are restricted in use and may only be used to enhance law enforcement activities and services.  Those funds MAY NOT be used to fund normal operating expenses of Law Enforcement Departments.

  

During the period of 2004 through July 2013 the Essex County Sherriff's Department had received approximately $90,000 in forfeited funds.  Over the past several years the Sheriff and his staff had made numerous requests for a reconciliation of the fund balance but had NOT BEEN GIVEN THE INFORMATION. THEY REQUESTED.

THE STORY: ESO first asked the Acting County Administrator, Bill Pennell, to include the Forfeiture Fund Account (FAF) including balance, receipts, and expenditures as a topic for the external auditor to examine.  The Auditor's Report did not include any specific details pertaining to the FAF.

ESO next inquired about the status inquired about the status of the Forfeited Asset funds on March 13, 2013 with a FOIA Request to the County Administrator, Reese Peck.  As this was in the midst of the Annual Budget development cycle, an extension for a reply was granted.  The initial balance report was in the low 5 figures.  The County Administrator directed a preliminary inquiry be made and when the significant issues were recognized, he further directed that a comprehensive review be conducted and requested additional time for a final FOIA reply.

In late June the review was completed and discussions with the Sheriff were initiated to reconcile and review the findings.  This was completed and in August a letter of agreement was signed stipulating the correct current balance available in the account was in the upper 5 figures or approximately $90,000.  The County Administrator also took corrective measures to ensure that the FAF were recorded as a separate RESTRICTED ACCOUNT in the County Financial Records and that all obligations of those funds required the Sheriff's approval and were to comply with the uses authorized in the Code of Virginia and the Program Manual.

The outcome of this one small excursion though the Essex County Financial management procedures (sic) (extremely weak, poorly followed, and not supporting public safety) identified roughly $60,000 that is now available to support enhanced law enforcement, professional training, and increased public safety.  It also led to the publication of new Financial Management Procedures that provide significantly stronger internal controls and better management data.  The FAF were removed from the general fund category and are now fully open and transparent to Essex County Government and to our citizen.  The Sheriff's long and persistent efforts to account for law enforcement funding was successful.

Finally, it was proven, once again, how letting a little sunshine into government will result in greater openness and transparency.   In this case it also corrected bad decisions, errors, and a failure to comply with the Code of Virginia.

John R. Clickener, Publisher

End note:  The development of this article was mentioned in the 12 August 2013 Blog "The Former Deputy County Administrator."  It is ESO's understanding that the DCA was also the County Financial Officer.

 

Is Election Fraud Really a Problem?

 A sign near Mechanicsville states "VOTER FRAUD IS REAL   VOTER SUPPRESSION IS BALONEY."  This is an interesting claim and many states, including Virginia, have been enacting legislation which is supposed to prevent fraud.  Is Election Fraud really a problem?

ESO filed a FOIA request with the Virginia State Board of Elections to gain a perspective on the magnitude of the alleged issue.  Their response, summarized, was that:

1.     Between 10/26/2008 and 11/10/2011 their Internet based complaint system recorded 73 Voter-Fraud incidents.

2.     They had investigated actions by Acorn in 2005.

3.     They do not collect statistics on voter fraud complaints.  Voter-Fraud complaints are immediately reported to appropriate law enforcement authorities…

We are puzzled and question why the state agency which conducts our elections doesn't maintain records on allegations, complaints, and actual incidents of voter fraud.  They maintain extensive files on every voter demographic in every election.  Perhaps the lack of a reliable database is the reason why there's an absence of specific facts (numbers) to support legislation which makes it more difficult to vote or which prevents voter fraud. 

Because ESO focuses on Essex County we decided to let other open government and transparency advocates pursue the reasons why there are no hard numbers to support either point of view.  We chose to use a very simple test of voting history in the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck.

We contacted the General Registrars in each of the 10 counties and asked (no FOIA requests were made) each to provide a summary of any annual data they had for the period 2008 through 2012 of both Registration Fraud Incidents and Voting/Ballot Fraud Incidents within their counties.  Three Counties, Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex, did not reply to our requests for information.  The other seven counties provided the data which is shown in the table below: 

We leave the interpretation you, our readers.  It appears that in our region, the General Registrars, the county boards of election, and the district voting officials have been doing an outstanding job by preventing both Registration Fraud and Ballot Fraud.

In our opinion the recent efforts, both in Virginia and nationally, to make it more difficult for citizens to vote is misdirected.  Unfortunately, the TYPICAL low voter turnout will be exacerbated by many of the new misguided laws which were enacted without any proof of significant instances of voter fraud.  Denying our eligible citizens, particularly the elderly and the rural, the right to vote through complex laws and difficult processes is a greater attack on our freedom than the potential harm a few unproven fraudulent votes.  WHERE ARE THE NUMBERS?  WHO HAS BEEN PROPERLY CHARGED AND PROSECUTED?

We would welcome comments from the State Board of Elections and our local Boards of Elections and General Registrars.

John Clickener, Publisher

The Former Deputy County Administrator

 

            ESO has been quietly working on a number of projects over the past four months.  More importantly, our Essex County Government, our School System, and our Airport Authority have been very busy opening some of the shutters, cleaning windows, and starting to open the blinds. 

 

The sudden retirement of the Deputy County Administrator and the subsequent announcement of an investigation by the State Police may have been connected to articles and enquiries by ESO.  The ESO Publisher addressed a freedom of speech and civil discourse issue which was directed at the former Deputy County Administrator.  The subsequent public discussion appeared in the local newspapers.  All of these activities are connected to previous articles which appeared in this blog.  Therefore, our readers and the citizens of Essex County deserve a brief explanation in the spirit of openness which we strive to provide.

 

            First, the ESO team has been collecting information and working with local agencies in resolving issues.  Articles which will soon be published include:  The Forfeiture Fund Problems and Its Resolution, Concealed Carry Permits, Voter Fraud, Animal Control Issues, LaGrange Industrial Park Status, Fire Safety, and updates on previous reports.

 

            Second, local government bodies have made significant progress in providing easy access to essential information.  Transparency has improved and a number of essential longer term projects have been approved.  Future articles will provide the details.

 

            Finally, ESO does not know what specifically prompted the retirement, what are the specific actions or acts being investigated or who initiated the request which led the State Police to conduct an ongoing investigation.  We believe that some of the issues raised in ESO articles identified areas which warranted a full investigation. The temporary employment of a very experienced Acting County Administrator led to the identification of several concerns and resulted in several new procedures being established. The recent selection and employment of a new County Administrator created additional occasions for existing practices to be examined and the apparent absence of administrative and financial controls to be questioned.

 

            What we do believe with absolute certainty is that there is a distinct difference between disagreeing with a government official and a deliberate personal attack on that individual.  An allegation of possible misconduct or criminal acts is best addressed by law enforcement professionals and the judicial process. It is not a matter to be resolved by an abusive personal attack on an individual. 

 

            Any private person has the right to loudly and repeatedly object to bad public policies, to complain about failures to provide information, to make accusations of waste, fraud, and abuse of office, and to speak, write, or post signs about any number of perceived issues.  A deliberate public attack of a personal nature is, in my opinion, an attack on society and civil discourse.  Unless the person(s) who placed the sign are government officials it isn't a Constitutional issue (Preamble to the Bill of Rights, I Amendment, IV Amendment, and IX Amendment).  It was just an instance of poor taste, bad manners, and mean-spirited behavior.

 

John R. Clickener - Publisher