Ward I Councilman Gillette seeks to keep seat

By Alicia Petska

Published: March 11, 2008

Ward I City Councilman Mike Gillette outlined a re-election platform of smart growth, fiscal responsibility and transparency in government Tuesday, highlighting his own initiatives to further those causes while in office.
He also underlined the importance of this year’s council elections, where a majority of seats are up for grabs with each facing a contested race.
“This is not an average race for City Council,” said Gillette, 44. “There is potential in this race for the entire balance of City Council to change.”
Finishing up his first term in office, Gillette faces challenges from retired car dealer Jim Martin and environmental science professor Tom Shahady.
Martin, 64, is touting his entrepreneurial background with an emphasis on commitment to schools, public safety and business development. Shahady, a professor at Lynchburg College, is running with a strong pro-environment
agenda.
On Tuesday, speaking at City Hall before a crowd of supporters, Gillette referenced several of his past initiatives over the last four years, including the development of a big-box store ordinance, the elimination last year of the “common goods” fee charged to homeowners, and the new requirement that all school board appointees be approved by at least four of the seven council members.
“I don’t believe I have served just as a Ward I representative in the last four years,” he said. “I believe I have served as a City Council member doing what’s best for the city as a whole. … I have endeavored to represent a broad diversity and full array of the citizenship here in Lynchburg.”
The big-box law, which is still being written and will be taken to a stakeholders’ meeting later this month, will ensure the quality of future large-scale commercial projects while creating a clearer, easier to navigate process for developers, Gillette said.
The end of the common goods fee saved homeowners around $840,000 in taxes this year, the equivalent of 5 cents on the real property tax rate. Gillette called the decision a more “efficient” tax decrease, saying it targeted those who needed it most — homeowners — and did not disproportionately benefit the city’s wealthy as a reduction in property tax does.
The change to the school board standard, approved following last year’s controversial replacement of the board’s vice chairman on a 3-2 vote, ensured that all voices were heard on an important issue, he said.
All Ward I candidates are running as independents. Mayor Joan Foster and Ward II City Councilman Ceasor Johnson both attended Gillette’s announcement.
Foster declined to say whether her presence was a sign of support, saying she didn’t want to draw focus from the candidates. She attended Tuesday’s announcement because she was invited, she said. No other candidate has invited her to an event.
Johnson, who’s also up for re-election this year against challenger David Johnston, confirmed he was supporting Gillette in his race.
“He’s been a wonderful colleague to work with. He’s very insightful and gives a different perspective,” Johnson said. “I think he is really concerned about the citizens of Ward I, and I like that. He’s a genuine person.”
At-large Councilman Scott Garrett is supporting Martin in the Ward I election. No other council members have made their feelings known in that race.
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