Candidates for the Victoria and Kenbridge town councils are gearing up for Tuesday’s elections.  Here are who’s running, both for election and re-election:

 

VICTORIA TOWN COUNCIL

 

Two candidates are running for election for town council, and two members for town council and the mayor are running for re-election. Three seats for town council are available. The mayor and council members are running unopposed. Meet the two town council candidates running for election below:

• J.B. Crenshaw: Crenshaw, who served as Town Manager for Victoria from 1996-2003, said in a March phone interview that has considered running in the past and believes his past experience in the town will aid him in serving on the council.
  “I just thought the circumstances were such, with Ken Boyd leaving, that I’m at a place in my life right now where I have the time that I can devote to it,” Crenshaw said. “I’ve served the Town of Victoria for years in different capacities and I’ve always been interested in the good of the town. I thought it would be a good time to run.”

 

• Christopher T. Garrett: Garrett, in his first run for public office, said he was inspired to run for Victoria Town Council because he wanted to develop a place that had more opportunities for his two young kids.  “(It’s) mainly just getting involved while my kids are still young,” Garrett, who owns Wizzard Lawns and works full time as a firefighter in Petersburg, said, “to try to turn Victoria back around and kind of give it some things so the kids have something to do and get it economically back on track.”  He said he would work to develop the town’s economic opportunities.

 

• Victoria Mayor Carol Watson and Town council members Johnnie Brame and Greg Elam are also slated to run. Victoria Town Manager Rodney Newton said Victoria Council member Kenneth Boyd will not pursue another term. “Councilman Boyd has made an announcement that he will not be seeking re-election,” Newtons said.

• Victoria residents can vote for the mayor and town council seats at the Victoria Fire & Rescue station at 1421 Main St.

 

KENBRIDGE MAYOR

 

Kenbridge Town Mayor, Emory Hodges, will be on the ballot Tuesday for re-election. Anthony Sandy, who ran in the 2016 election, will also be running for mayor. Learn more about Sandy’s campaign below: 

 

• Sandy said in a Monday phone interview that he worries about residents who struggle to pay rising costs of water and sewer, and said as mayor he would work to lower the bills, strengthen small business and industrial organizations in the town and get more of the community’s input. “The first two years of any business is always a struggle,” Sandy said, who has run for mayor in 2016 and owns Sandy’s Service Center on 504 W. Sixth Ave.. “If we can’t help them, then what good are we going to be? …  We all want to work together. That’s what I want. Everybody is on the same team.

 

 

KENBRIDGE TOWN COUNCIL

 

Three candidates are running for seats on the Kenbridge Town Council. Those filed to run include Wanda G. Morrison, Hafiz Ibrahim and Paul E. Perusse.

 

• Morrison said in a March phone interview that she believes the town is entering a period of change and said she believes she can help bridge the Kenbridge community with the council and help bring economic industry.
  “The strongest communities I know are anchored in a spirit of collaboration,” Morrison said, noting that she believes Kenbridge is a great place to live. “I think we can build upon that if we bring in more business, bring more families in, keeping our rural community tight but still opening it up so that people want to come to Kenbridge.” Morrison ran against Mike Hankins for the Browns Store District seat for the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors during the 2017 election.

 

 

 

• Ibrahim ran for town council during the 2016 election. He said his goals are to strengthen the Kenbridge Police Department, enforce the speed limit within the town limits and bring economic and housing development to low-income areas of the town, particularly areas with vacant homes. Ibrahim, who owns the C Mart convenience store in town, said in the last 14 years he has lived in Kenbridge, the area which he lives has not seen any development. “We do need the same type of facilities at Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue and South Broad Street,” Ibrahim said. “I believe, if elected, I must do my best to help the citizens of Kenbridge and try to bring more business here, more residents, and help my police department. That’s my main aim.”

 

 

• This will be Perusse’s first time running for the Kenbridge Town Council. He said he wants to see the economy restored and said he sees the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) currently under construction at Fort Pickett in Nottoway County as potential for economic growth. He said he has spoken with contractors about the potential of relocating to the town.
  “Most of the (contractor’s offices) have to be within 25 miles of the base,” Perusse, a defense contractor for the Department of the Navy for 30 years, said in a phone interview Friday. “We’re 10 miles from the base. That would work. (If) those people are working here, their offices (are) here, odds are they are going to live here.”

 

• Kenbridge Town Council members Ken Blackburn, Cathy Gilley, Daniel Thompson, Michael McGrath, Michael Bender and Raymond Hite have filed to run for re-election.

 

• Kenbridge residents can vote at the Kenbridge Town Hall at 511 E. Fifth Ave.