House of Delegates candidates pitch voters
Good morning! Today we summarize the Williamsburg Watch/WHRO forum for our local House of Delegates candidates...Optimism for Historic Triangle tourism....James City may go its own way on recycling.
While there were areas of common ground at our House of Delegates forum Wednesday night, 71st District Incumbent Amanda Batten generally diverged from her Democratic challenger and the Independent candidate for the 69th, hewing to more of a market approach for what ails Virginia.
Wednesday’s forum, hosted by Williamsburg Watch and WHRO, played to a crowd of nearly 200 people at the Williamsburg Regional Library theater and was also streamed live on the public station’s website. You can see the archived version on You Tube.
The only two men in the races – 69thst District incumbent Chad Green and his Democratic opponent, Mark Downey -- said they had prior commitments.
Differences began with the first question, when the candidates were asked if Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones should drop out of the race after he admitted to texting fantasies about shooting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert, and Gilbert’s wife watching their two young children die in her arms.
While condemning the texts, neither Jessica Anderson, the Democratic nominee for the 71st district, nor 69th district candidate Valerie Beverly would call for him to drop out of the race.
Anderson said doing so would disenfranchise voters who have already cast their ballots in early voting. Beverly said she condemned Jones’ actions but then deflected to the behavior of Republican President Donald Trump, noting “look who is at the top of the chain” of leadership.
Batten condemned Jones’ texts and also expressed her displeasure with a ticket Jones received for driving recklessly in New Kent County, which is part of her district.
“He should disqualify himself and say that if he is somehow elected in November he will not serve,” Batten said.
The three candidates also disagreed on Virginia’s right to work laws, which prohibit mandatory union membership as a requirement of employment. Anderson and Beverly both said they favored removing the right to work law. Anderson admitted Right to Work has bipartisan support, but said Colorado, with demographics similar to Virginia’s, has done better without right to work legislation. Batten said the right to work law guarantees workers’ freedom to choose and makes Virginia more attractive to business.
Other topics for the evening included:
Abortion:
All three candidates favored a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in Virginia, but Batten differed from the other candidates in opposing the current amendment passed by state Democrats.
She said the proposal allows for third trimester abortions and could erode parental notification law and is “is one of the most radical abortion policies in the entire world.”
Anderson said she would vote for the amendment, saying states that have limited abortion access since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade have seen a rise in women’s deaths. Beverly did not answer whether she would support the amendment, but favored abortion freedoms and said “I don’t think women’s bodies should be turned into political battlefields.”
If both chambers of the Virginia legislature pass the amendment next year, it will go to voters for approval in November 2026.
Minimum Wage:
Anderson said she supported raising the minimum wage, saying small businesses were paying more than large corporations like Walmart. She said a higher minimum wage would ease pay disparity, and that everyone deserved a living wage. Beverly said higher corporations with well-paid CEO’s should pay more. Batten said Virginia cannot keep raising the minimum wage indefinitely because it puts an undue burden on small business and nonprofits. She said some states with significantly higher minimum wages have seen businesses cut working hours and raise prices.
Car Tax
All three candidates said no one likes the car tax, but they differed on how it could be removed. Anderson noted that local governments set the tax rate and can impact what people pay. She said she favored raising state taxes on higher income earners to offset the loss of car tax revenue and eliminate sales taxes on groceries. Batten said the state is running a surplus that could make local governments whole over time, pointing to the tax refunds the Youngkin administration mailed out to taxpayers recently. Beverly said she also disliked the car tax but was not sure how localities would be made whole.
School Vouchers
Here again, all three candidates opposed a voucher program. But Batten said she would support a state education account that lets families of students with specific needs receive the money the state would give to public schools, while keeping the local and federal money at the schools. She said they would be saving the cost of educating a student and still receive funds. Anderson and Beverly said they are opposed to diverting any public money to individuals. Anderson said public schools would still have to provide some support to special needs students even if they were not enrolled.
Data Centers
Beverly said data centers were environmentally unsafe and often located next to poor neighborhoods. Anderson said data centers were part of the future but needed to be regulated and required to pay for all the energy and water they consume. She noted the lower income community of Grove has been mentioned as one of the few places in James City County where a data center might fit. Batten said data centers provide significant funds to local governments in taxes – saying Loudon receives nearly $1 billion a year – that can lower taxes for everyone else. But she said the general assembly needs to take steps to keep their high energy demands from raising costs for everyone else.
The state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) completed a review of data centers last year and found they are not causing consumer utility prices to increase yet. But JLARC recommended utilities take steps to make sure the data centers pay for the cost of creating extra electricity they will need in coming years.
Local tourism held up well, state expert says
The Historic Triangle’s tourism business has held up reasonably well, despite its reliance on budget-oriented travelers who are feeling the pinch of higher food and housing prices, according to the research chief of the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce held its annual state of Greater Williamsburg briefing Wednesday morning to review the region’s economic performance.
They heard that while higher income Americans are financially better off, those at the lower end of the scale were constricted by higher prices on everything from groceries to buying or renting a home.
Dan Roberts, the tourism corporation’s vice president of research and strategy, said that phenomenon had held the local tourism economy basically flat in 2024, with a slight uptick this year. But he predicted 2026 will see growth from the combined effects of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding and the opening of the regional sports center.
Roberts said our economy is one of the most tourism-intense regions in the state, with 16.1% of all jobs in Williamsburg and in James City and York counties related to tourism.
Last year visitors to the area spent over $1.3 billion in our area and paid $105 million in state and local taxes, ranking the triangle 8th overall in visitor contribution to local revenues.
Roberts said tourists come for a specific reason, like visiting Colonial Williamsburg, but then spend money in local restaurants, spend time outdoors, and shop locally.
Our area appeals to what the tourism agency has defined as travel and activity enthusiasts.
“They want to be fundamentally enriched when they’re traveling, when they create memories with their children, they want to come back and learn something that they can’t learn anywhere else. (They like) visiting historic sites (and also) going hiking, some physical activity. “
He said such travelers have a significant impact on all aspects of a local economy.
“You’re going to visit restaurants, of course, you’re going to be attending events, you’re going to be going out and watching a live band; maybe spending money there,” Roberts said. “You’re going to enjoy nature, you’re going to be shopping and then also, maybe you’ll go to Busch Gardens as well.”
James City ponders next steps on recycling
James City County has not decided whether it will go on its own to hire a curbside recycling company or go through the regional Virginia Peninsula’s Public Service Authority, County Administrator Scott Stevens told us.
After the authority cancelled its contract with TFC last month, leaving county residents with no curbside recycling, James City stepped in to sign a 90-day emergency contract for the service.
VPPSA said it acted after years of asking TFC to properly account for its activities.
The move impacted Poquoson, York County and Williamsburg as well. Poquoson signed its own temporary agreement with TFC, while York is paying its curbside garbage collection vendor to pick up recycling as well. Williamsburg continued its recycling program with its existing garbage collector, Republic.
Stevens said the county Board of Supervisors will discuss how to handle a bid at its Oct. 28 meeting.
Skate park makes way for government center
James City County is closing its skate park Oct. 26 to allow site work for the proposed new county government center, the county announced Thursday.
The skate park, located next to the county recreation center on Longhill Road, opened in 2001.
A county press release said the skate park will relocated to the Warhill sports complex. The new $1.5 million complex will accommodate skateboarders, roller bladers and BMX bikers.
Passings
Ruth Slifer Geary, 75, Oct. 11.
When the recycling program was suspended, TFC offered residents the service directly with them at a slightly reduced price. Why do we need the county involved? Also, I’ve dealt with the same trash collection company for 25 or more years. Why not do the same with the recycling company? And now I hear the county is going to get into the trash collection business as well as recycling. What happened to free enterprise?