Blacksburg Town Council Special Election Forum - October 8, 2026

The League of Women Voters and the NAACP hosted a candidate forum for the Blacksburg Town Council special election. Candidates Leslie C. Harwood and Joel Ayer Goodhart, vying for two open seats to complete a term ending in December 2027, answered audience questions on their priorities, experiences, and local issues.

Candidates' Opening Statements

• Leslie C. Harwood: A 26-year resident and former Virginia Tech student, Harwood stated she was motivated to run by a perceived breakdown of trust between residents and town government. Her campaign focuses on restoring trust through transparency, proactive communication, and better utilizing community resources (including Virginia Tech) to solve local challenges.
• Joel Ayer Goodhart: A current appointed council member, Goodhart highlighted his year of experience on the council. His priorities include seeing the Recode Blacksburg zoning code reform through to completion, expanding transportation options (citing his work leading a local elementary school bike bus), and improving financial transparency for the town.

Priorities for the Upcoming Year

• Goodhart: His primary priority is zoning code reform to address the affordable housing crisis, noting the zoning code is 30 years out of date. He also prioritized expanding transportation options (pedestrian safety, bike infrastructure) and implementing new financial tracking software for transparency.
• Harwood: Framed her 11 platform priorities as a single process centered on transparency and communication. She emphasized restoring resident trust in local government, strengthening the town-Virginia Tech partnership, strategic long-term planning, and converting good ideas into actionable results.

Experience and Committee Appointment Process

• Harwood: Shared her experience applying for a town committee and being informed her application was not presented to the council for consideration. She raised concerns that an inside connection (a letter of recommendation from a council member) was needed to be considered. She argued the appointment process needs to be clearly explained and equitable.
• Goodhart: Cited his service on the Planning Commission, Parks and Rec Advisory Committee, Friends of the Farmers Market, Housing and Community Development Committee, and his current role on council as preparation for the full term.

Pedestrian Safety

• Goodhart: Advocated for safer crosswalks, though he noted flashing beacons cost approximately $15,000 each, making them difficult to install at every intersection. He suggested lower-cost traffic calming measures to change driver behavior.
• Harwood: Emphasized using her program management experience to convene subject matter experts (e.g., from Virginia Tech) to evaluate the specific problems and recommend the best solutions before committing to a plan.

Affordable Housing

• Harwood: Argued that zoning decisions from decades ago are a primary barrier. She stressed that Blacksburg must take the initiative on housing solutions before the state government mandates action, and wants the town to become a model for addressing affordability by leveraging local expertise.
• Goodhart: Discussed the Legacy on Maine project, noting it required over a dozen funding sources and that over 100 people opposed it when it was approved. He argued that council must grapple with difficult land use decisions to allow for more "missing middle" housing, infill, and mixed-use development.

Community Engagement and Council Meeting Structure

• Harwood: Proposed ideas from community members: adding a sign outside the municipal building advertising upcoming agenda items, hosting engaging presentations before council meetings (e.g., from local museums), and moving work sessions from midday to the evening after regular meetings to increase public participation.
• Goodhart: Directed residents to the Citizens Alert system and Let's Talk Blacksburg website to stay informed. He expressed openness to the idea of speakers at meetings.

Low Candidate Turnout

• Harwood: Expressed disappointment, viewing the low number of candidates as a symptom of a feeling among residents that their voices do not matter. She is working with student interns to create a guide for future candidates to lower the barrier to entry.
• Goodhart: Noted that the special election is for a one-year term, which is a significant disincentive compared to a four-year term, explaining the lack of additional candidates.

Local Businesses (Recognition and Minority-Owned)

• Both candidates expressed strong support for recognizing long-standing local businesses.
• Harwood: Stressed the need for a better support system for small and minority-owned businesses, noting a business owner told her the process of starting up was very difficult and they did not feel supported by staff.
• Goodhart: Tied business growth to zoning, advocating for more mixed-use space and supporting the Local at 414 business incubator to create opportunities.

License Plate Readers / Flock Cameras

• Harwood: Opposes the continued use of Flock cameras. She stated the risks to privacy outweigh the benefits, citing documented cases of unauthorized use. She criticized the lack of a dedicated public discussion in Blacksburg on the issue.
• Goodhart: Expressed a deeply conflicted position. He stated he dislikes Flock as a company (a "for-profit mass surveillance network"). However, he outlined specific scenarios where automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology is critical for law enforcement (active shooter, recovering a stolen car with children, protective order monitoring). He supports seeking an on-premises ALPR vendor over Flock's cloud model and recommends waiting until the Flock contract ends in March 2027 to see if new regulations provide guardrails.

Student Growth and Traffic

• Goodhart: Argued for accommodating student growth near campus to reduce traffic, and for reducing car dependency by creating walkable, bikeable neighborhoods with access to daily needs.
• Harwood: Emphasized that Virginia Tech and Blacksburg growth are intertwined. She called for moving away from an "us vs. them" mentality and establishing joint long-term planning to manage the impacts on transportation and public safety.

Annexation

• Goodhart: Expressed caution, citing the long-term financial costs of maintaining expanded infrastructure (roads, pipes) and citing Roanoke City's budget cuts resulting from sprawl as a warning.
• Harwood: Prefers a case-by-case approach. She does not support annexing land simply to increase the tax base, preferring to focus on revitalizing vacant and dilapidated properties downtown to generate revenue.

Income Inequality and Housing Supply

• Goodhart: Connected income inequality to the housing shortage. He stated the region needs about 5,000 units of housing but only 300 are currently planned. He cited the ADU ordinance he worked on (with approximately 15-16 ADUs built) as a successful example of creating starter housing stock.
• Harwood: Reiterated the need to proactively learn from other communities and take initiative on housing before the state forces changes upon localities.

Key Outcomes

• The forum presented two distinct visions: Harwood centered her campaign on systemic reform of transparency, trust, and community engagement processes, while Goodhart leveraged his appointed incumbency, focusing legislative priorities on zoning, transportation, and financial prudence.
• Strong disagreements emerged on the use of Flock cameras, the fairness of the town's committee appointment process, and the best methods for increasing community engagement.
• The moderators concluded the forum by urging citizens to vote in the upcoming special election.