Local elections are one part of the political process where the results of the election process can be both seen and felt by the public. The Board of Supervisors make decisions that directly impact how Albemarle County citizens live on a day to day basis. A few of these issues are growth management – to include roads and other infrastructure, the development process, property taxes and perhaps most importantly, how our taxpayer money is spent.

There are several local elections this fall, none more contested and interesting than the open seat in the Rio District of the Board of Supervisors, which pits Gary Grant, Thomas Jakubowski and David Slutsky against each other. This one may be too close to call, as each candidate brings a different set of qualifications to the table. David Slutsky, however, is brilliant and has an extraordinary background that sets him apart from his competition.

Another potentially very interesting campaign is the Jack Jouett District election which sees the incumbent, Dennis Rooker against newcomer Christian Schoenwald. This race may be more competitive than anticipated.

It is in every Albemarle citizen’s best interest to 1) inform and educate themselves and 2) preferably when sufficiently educated on the candidates and pertinent issues, vote.

Read more about the candidates at Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Election Watch page. Charlottesville Tomorrow also has a calendar with information about the upcoming Candidates’ Forums they are hosting and co-hosting.