Pivotal race sparks strong poll turnout

Alicia Rimel
Published: May 6, 2008

Election Day drew waves of concerned Waynesboro residents to the polls. Most were adverse to a tax hike.
“I don’t support a candidate who says up front that they’re going to raise my taxes,” Ward B voter Pamela Coffey said. “That’s kinda silly. I’m not ever going to vote for somebody who is going to arbitrarily raise my taxes, and I don’t like candidates that tax and spend.”
That was the consensus Tuesday as constituents flocked to four locations around Waynesboro to influence the outcome of the City Council elections. Turnout was steady: 29.2 percent of voters cast ballots, on par with recent local election showings.
Among the long list of issues driving turnout, the financial variety reigned supreme in the minds of voters.
“The thing that motivates me toward a leader, at least locally, is common sense,” Jim Cook said at the Waynesboro Public Library polling site. “Common sense, and better use of the money that they already have, not to try to figure out another way to get some more money. There are always ways to get more money, but it takes above-average judgment to get better use out of the money they already have.”
The City Council is considering a proposed $41 million budget that includes an increased tax rate, from 70 cents per $100 of assessed value to 74 cents per $100. At that rate, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $740 in annual city taxes, up from $700 this fiscal year.
Many voters said that the City Council has been encumbered by a tacit alliance between members. The council is divided between two factions, one backing bonds for capital projects and the other opposed to increased spending.
One Ward B voter said she would “like to break up this coalition that is in council.” Another “didn’t like the tenor and the way City Council deliberates and handles itself.”
According to unopposed Ward A candidate Tim Williams, many have become disillusioned with Waynesboro’s governing body.
“I feel many men and women have felt disenfranchised by their local government and I think they’re coming out today to make a statement,” said Williams, paired with at-large incumbent Frank Lucente on the council’s minority faction. “Taxes is always a big issue. People don’t mind paying taxes, but they need to see something for their money. They get resentful of paying taxes every year and the money goes to big salaries, more employees and they don’t see their needs being met.”
At-large candidate Jeremy Taylor had this to offer:
“I think we should do everything that we possibly can not to increase taxes. No one wants to increase taxes. But we need to look at the budget to make sure we are spending the revenue from citizens efficiently. Once we are sure there is no unnecessary spending, then there are things we need to do to keep our city running. We have not tended to the infrastructure as we should have. That is something we owe to our citizens. I wouldn’t want to increase taxes unless we were absolutely sure there was nowhere else to get the money.”
Another issue driving voter turnout was the controversy over the funding of the Wayne Theatre Alliance. The council approved $300,000 for the alliance and has backed an incentives-laden performance agreement that calls for an additional $700,000 investment of taxpayer money. Of the $700,000, the alliance will receive $200,000 in the first year, with the remaining funds doled out over the next nine years.
“This Wayne Theatre thing, I don’t think our money should go into it,” Francis Serrett said while voting at the Ward B location.
Beyond the hard-hitting issues, many people turned out simply from a sense of civic duty.
“Bad people get in office because good people don’t vote,” Jim Hummer said after casting his ballot at the Waynesboro Public Library voting location.