OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Blacksburg Town Council Candidate Forum - August 28, 2025

Town Council — Thursday, August 28, 2025
BodyBlacksburg, Virginia
SessionTown Council
DateThursday, August 28, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:27:08

Transcript — Verbatim
0:32

Good evening, everyone.

0:35

Good evening.

0:36

I feel like I've seen you all before.

0:39

But welcome this evening to tonight's Blacksburg Town Council candidate forum hosted by the NAACP, Montgomery County, Rafford City, Floyd County Branch, and the League of Women Voters, Montgomery County.

0:52

And so first I'd like to introduce the presidents of each of our organizations to give some words of welcome.

0:58

Miss Jess Davis and Miss Deborah Travis.

1:06

Good evening, everyone.

1:08

On behalf of the Montgomery County, Raffi City, Floyd County branch of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, we welcome you here tonight, and we really appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to learn about the candidates.

1:21

The uh NAACP is a nonpartisan uh organization along with the League of Women Voters.

1:27

And our main goal is to educate and to inform our community of what's happening politically, but also to encourage you to cast that vote.

1:37

So you have to be informed to do that.

1:39

So we're so pleased that you're out here tonight.

1:41

We also ask with the NAACP if you would join us in our civil rights and social justice advocacy programs.

1:48

We have a lot of opportunity to uh do that.

1:51

So we welcome everyone to be a part.

1:54

And you can find us on the website.

1:56

And if you have any information any questions at all, we do have a table out front where you can get some additional uh information.

2:02

So thank you again.

2:03

And here's Jess.

2:05

Awesome, thanks, Debbie.

2:06

Um, yes, again, uh my name is Jess Davis, uh the president for the League of Women Voters for Montgomery County.

2:11

Um we are a grassroots nonpartisan organization working to defend democracy, and so we do that through educating, advocating, and getting folks out to vote.

2:20

And so if you don't have your voter registration yet, or if you need it updated, please come see us outside at the table.

2:27

Susan is ready to get you updated and all of that.

2:30

Um we also have monthly meetings next Tuesday, is our first Tuesday month, and so I invite you all.

2:35

Um we did a book club.

2:36

You don't have to have read the book.

2:37

I still have quite a bit of it to go myself.

2:40

Um, but we would invite love to have you all.

2:42

Um it is over the lunch hour, and so um get more information outside, and we would love to see you there.

2:48

Um before I turn it over to Karen, I would like to give a shout out to Karen who has done so much for putting these organizations together.

3:01

It it takes it takes a lot to herd cats, and she is wonderful at herding the cats.

3:06

So thank you, Karen.

3:09

Thank you so much.

3:10

Um, before I turn um the candidate forum over to our moderator this evening, I do want to introduce and thank um our volunteers that are here tonight, passing out cards so we can get all of you all's vitally important questions, but especially to our question and answer sorters who take the time to make sure that we have a variety of questions that can be answered by all asked of all of the candidates.

3:36

And so last week, Elizabeth Oakenshain and David Travis were our QA sorters, and they're doing that again this evening.

3:42

So want to thank them for that really hard.

3:45

It's hard work over here because y'all are invested in your community, which is good.

3:51

So thank you to Beth and David.

3:53

And so I would like to turn our forum over to Miss Peggy Lane, who will serve as tonight's moderator.

4:04

Thank you, Karen, and thank you all for being here tonight.

4:09

As you know, tonight's forum is for candidates running for the Blacksburg Town Council.

4:15

Town council has six members who serve staggered four-year terms.

4:19

And this year we have five candidates who are running for three seats on council.

4:25

In preparation for tonight's forum, all of the candidates were given five questions.

4:30

We'll start with two or three of those questions, and all of the other questions will come from you.

4:36

You should have received note cards when you came in tonight.

4:40

If you do not have a note card or you want another note card, raise your hand and somebody will bring you a note card.

4:46

Please write your question on the card and then hold it up and somebody will come pick it up and bring it up to our question sorters.

4:55

All of the questions will be screened for clarity, variety, and to ensure that they're relevant to decisions that the town council can make.

5:05

As moderator, I will address all of the questions to all of the candidates.

5:10

So if you have a question for one candidate, you'll have to catch them after the forum because every question that comes up here is going to be given to all of the people on the panel.

5:21

I will attempt to rotate the order in which the candidates are asked to respond.

5:26

If I get confused with that, I hope you all will help me keep track.

5:31

To make sure that we have time for as many questions as possible, please hold your applause until the end of the forum and refrain from reacting to the candidates in any way because interruptions will only reduce the amount of time that we have to hear from the candidates tonight.

5:50

Each candidate will have two minutes to introduce themselves and tell us why they're running for office.

5:56

Each candidate will have up to two minutes to respond to each question.

6:01

We're using the timing system here in the council chambers tonight, so the green light will come on at the beginning of the two minutes.

6:09

The yellow light will come on when there are 30 seconds left, and the red light will turn on when it's time to stop.

6:16

And I will not hesitate to interrupt you if you do not observe the red light.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement██████████████████████████████████34%
Housing███████████████15%
Public Safety███████████11%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Transportation Safety█████████9%
Emergency Management██████6%
Environmental Protection████4%
Public Engagement██2%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Blacksburg Town Council Candidate Forum - August 28, 2025

On August 28, 2025, at 11:30 UTC (evening local time), the NAACP Montgomery County-Radford-Floyd County Branch and the League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum for the Blacksburg Town Council election. Five candidates participated: incumbent Susan Anderson, Daryl Campbell, incumbent Lauren Culliver, Joel Goodhart, and James Harder, competing for three seats. The forum featured opening statements, pre-selected and audience-submitted questions, and closing remarks, with Peggy Lane as moderator. Key topics included affordable housing, traffic safety, natural disaster preparedness, community policing, and regional collaboration.

Opening Statements

  • Susan Anderson (incumbent, seeking re-election) emphasized her record of increasing housing stock, parklands, and downtown revitalization, and prioritized diverse affordable housing, smart growth, and openness in government.
  • Daryl Campbell highlighted his work with United Campus Workers and Blacksburg Young Professionals, stressing the need for a village-like community and affordable housing for young professionals and workers.
  • Lauren Culliver (incumbent, seeking third term) focused on listening to residents, building a resilient economy, and addressing the housing crisis through smart, community-centered solutions.
  • Joel Goodhart cited his completion of the town's Citizens Institute and service on the housing committee, advocating for connection, resilience, and livability through zoning reforms and incremental housing additions.
  • James Harder emphasized his background in government, economic development, and strategic planning, promising to build more housing, expand mobility, grow cultural opportunities, and work collaboratively.

Discussion on Affordable Housing

  • Candidates agreed that housing is the top challenge. Lauren Culliver noted a drop in owner-occupancy from 60% to 44% and the need for designated student housing and affordable options for families, seniors, and workers.
  • Joel Goodhart referenced a regional study showing a need for 5,000 additional housing units, with only about 300 units (some not yet built) achieved so far. He proposed allowing single-family home conversions, backyard cottages, and eliminating parking mandates.
  • James Harder called for streamlined processes for developers, encouraging redevelopment of existing rental properties, and cited the need to address the student housing backlog, noting that 67% of Blacksburg's population is students.
  • Susan Anderson highlighted the town's allocation of over $2.5 million in ARPA funds for affordable housing, including projects at Struples Ridge (20 owner-occupied homes), Habitat for Humanity townhomes on Airport Road, and Legacy on Main rentals. She also mentioned the New River Home Trust and small-lot zoning.
  • Daryl Campbell pointed to annual 10% rent increases by landlords and emphasized analyzing root causes, including vacant homes used only for game days, and proposed tax incentives for owner-occupancy.

Traffic Safety

  • Candidates focused on the dangerous intersection of Prices Fork and North Main, where a student was killed. Joel Goodhart advocated for engineering changes (e.g., road diets, traffic cones) to slow traffic, noting that the road is designed like a highway.
  • Lauren Culliver supported lowering speed limits, flashing lights (though university school zones were not approved by the state), and a pedestrian walkway over Prices Fork. She also mentioned speed cameras on school buses.
  • Susan Anderson emphasized lower speed limits, enforcement, pedestrian education, and road diets on Patrick Henry and North Main.
  • Daryl Campbell and James Harder stressed increasing density and public transit to reduce car dependency, with James Harder noting that more housing near campus would reduce darting pedestrians.

Natural Disaster Preparedness

  • Susan Anderson noted the town's adoption of the New River Valley Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 update on August 12, 2025, identifying recurrent flooding as the principal hazard, with emergency plans across departments.
  • Daryl Campbell (holding a master's in natural resources) praised the plan and urged regional collaboration, noting that disasters affect multiple localities.
  • Lauren Culliver highlighted regional partnerships (e.g., NRV Regional Commission) and infrastructure investments in stormwater and sewer systems, and shared the lesson from COVID-19 vaccine coordination.
  • Joel Goodhart and James Harder called for learning from other communities like Asheville after Hurricane Helene and ensuring infrastructure can handle increased storm intensity.

Community Policing

  • All candidates expressed strong support for Blacksburg's community policing model. Susan Anderson noted the department's long-standing philosophy and the use of mental health professionals co-responding to calls.
  • Daryl Campbell shared that he feels safe with Blacksburg police, unlike other places, and emphasized community-building events.
  • Lauren Culliver highlighted the social worker program and a recent mental health crisis center in Radford, but also raised concern about racial disparities in traffic stops, citing data from the Dialogue on Race that Black motorists are pulled over three times more often in Montgomery County.
  • Joel Goodhart praised the bike patrol unit and supported funding for social workers.
  • James Harder noted that many police officers cannot afford to live in Blacksburg, linking housing affordability to community policing.

Regional Collaboration

  • Candidates stressed the importance of working with Montgomery County, Christiansburg, Radford, and the state. Susan Anderson listed existing regional bodies (Greater Montgomery Liaison Committee, NRV Regional Commission).
  • Lauren Culliver serves on the Tourism Board, Economic Development Council, and Agency on Aging, and cited shared services like the Airport Authority and Water Authority.
  • Joel Goodhart and James Harder emphasized listening and building relationships, with Goodhart wanting to bike to the future Amtrak station in Christiansburg.
  • Daryl Campbell and James Harder focused on respectful disagreement and collaborative problem-solving.

Closing Statements

  • Candidates reiterated their platforms, urging voters to turn out. Susan Anderson asked for support based on her record. Daryl Campbell emphasized worker experience and transparency. Lauren Culliver highlighted her eight years of service. Joel Goodhart focused on connection, resilience, and livability. James Harder called for building more housing and expanding opportunities.

Key Outcomes and Next Steps

  • No votes were taken; the forum served as an educational event for voters. Early voting begins September 19, 2025, and Election Day is November 4, 2025. Candidates encouraged continued dialogue and community engagement.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Good evening. I feel like I've seen you all before. But welcome this evening to tonight's Blacksburg Town Council candidate forum hosted by the NAACP, Montgomery County, Rafford City, Floyd County Branch, and the League of Women Voters, Montgomery County. And so first I'd like to introduce the presidents of each of our organizations to give some words of welcome. Miss Jess Davis and Miss Deborah Travis. Good evening, everyone. On behalf of the Montgomery County, Raffi City, Floyd County branch of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, we welcome you here tonight, and we really appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to learn about the candidates. The uh NAACP is a nonpartisan uh organization along with the League of Women Voters. And our main goal is to educate and to inform our community of what's happening politically, but also to encourage you to cast that vote. So you have to be informed to do that. So we're so pleased that you're out here tonight. We also ask with the NAACP if you would join us in our civil rights and social justice advocacy programs. We have a lot of opportunity to uh do that. So we welcome everyone to be a part. And you can find us on the website. And if you have any information any questions at all, we do have a table out front where you can get some additional uh information. So thank you again. And here's Jess. Awesome, thanks, Debbie. Um, yes, again, uh my name is Jess Davis, uh the president for the League of Women Voters for Montgomery County. Um we are a grassroots nonpartisan organization working to defend democracy, and so we do that through educating, advocating, and getting folks out to vote. And so if you don't have your voter registration yet, or if you need it updated, please come see us outside at the table. Susan is ready to get you updated and all of that. Um we also have monthly meetings next Tuesday, is our first Tuesday month, and so I invite you all. Um we did a book club. You don't have to have read the book. I still have quite a bit of it to go myself. Um, but we would invite love to have you all. Um it is over the lunch hour, and so um get more information outside, and we would love to see you there. Um before I turn it over to Karen, I would like to give a shout out to Karen who has done so much for putting these organizations together. It it takes it takes a lot to herd cats, and she is wonderful at herding the cats. So thank you, Karen. Thank you so much. Um, before I turn um the candidate forum over to our moderator this evening, I do want to introduce and thank um our volunteers that are here tonight, passing out cards so we can get all of you all's vitally important questions, but especially to our question and answer sorters who take the time to make sure that we have a variety of questions that can be answered by all asked of all of the candidates. And so last week, Elizabeth Oakenshain and David Travis were our QA sorters, and they're doing that again this evening. So want to thank them for that really hard. It's hard work over here because y'all are invested in your community, which is good. So thank you to Beth and David. And so I would like to turn our forum over to Miss Peggy Lane, who will serve as tonight's moderator. Thank you, Karen, and thank you all for being here tonight. As you know, tonight's forum is for candidates running for the Blacksburg Town Council. Town council has six members who serve staggered four-year terms. And this year we have five candidates who are running for three seats on council. In preparation for tonight's forum, all of the candidates were given five questions. We'll start with two or three of those questions, and all of the other questions will come from you. You should have received note cards when you came in tonight. If you do not have a note card or you want another note card, raise your hand and somebody will bring you a note card. Please write your question on the card and then hold it up and somebody will come pick it up and bring it up to our question sorters. All of the questions will be screened for clarity, variety, and to ensure that they're relevant to decisions that the town council can make.

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