My Letter To Salem District Residents
I am running for a Board seat because I believe the next four years will be vital in shaping Culpeper’s future, and I believe the Board will benefit my input and efforts. I ask you to vote for me at a Mass Meeting on May 17, 2007 at 7:00 pm at Culpeper County High School. Please note that only those in attendance by 7:00 will be allowed to enter. If you’re late, the voting committee informs me that you will not be allowed to vote.
I moved to the old Gore Farm in Reva seven years ago. I live on Reva Road, and my farm is behind the Reva Market, stretching from Hwy 29 to Duncan Trail along Reva Road. I am not a politician and have never run for public office before, but we need better local government, and I am fortunate enough to have the time to dedicate to the position. I am eager to contribute to enhancing the quality of life in Culpeper through better governance.
Specifically, there are three issues that I believe are most important to Culpeper County: future development - land use, government transparency, and efficiency with taxpayer monies.
I believe that it is possible to improve our ordinances to enhance private property rights while discouraging outsiders who are trying to turn Culpeper into a part of the megalopolis of Northern Virginia. Specifically, we need to create ordinances that provide for maximum property rights at the local level while discouraging and inhibiting sprawling, monotonous national-homebuilder subdivisions. We also need to adjust the Comprehensive Plan to reflect true current land use and orient growth around town and village centers throughout the County rather than primarily towards the North and East.
I believe that government transparency begins with an attitude that the Board of Supervisors work for their constituents. If the public s not informed as to the real reasons that major decisions are being made, voters cannot hold elected officials accountable. I have been paying close attention to major county issues for several years, and I have learned enough to know that I don’t know the whole story on many issues. I believe the interested public should have access to the whole story.
If elected, I vow to study the details of the Culpeper County budget. I believe that thorough scrutinization of the budget, combined with a cautious view towards new expenditures, will enable Culpeper to stop out-of-control growth in local taxes and perhaps even lower taxes. If elected, I promise to formally make a motion to lower personal property taxes, and I will work hard to organize a majority of the board to support this position.
It is now time for improvement in our county government, and I can succeed in representing your interests on the Board of Supervisors because I have the education, the experience, and diplomatic skills necessary to effect positive change. I have not been in government, but I have succeeding in bringing harmony and efficiency to politically charged environments with strong personalities. I’ve been responsible for large budgets and complex financial models, and I’ve successfully balanced multiple constituencies in stressful, changing workplaces. I am asking for the job of being your Board Representative, because it very much needs to be done well over the next four years, and I have the time energy and commitment to get it done.
If you’d like to learn more about my campaign and my ideas to improve Culpeper government, please call or e-mail. My cell phone is my primary phone at 540-717-5263. My e-mail is tom@underwoodfarms.com . Additionally, my website is www.underwoodfarms.com. This site was designed for my beef cattle operation, but I have also contributed space on it to my campaign.
I am running for office as a Republican. I am a Republican because I grew up with Ronald Reagan as President, and I agree with his philosophies of opportunity, freedom, accountability, and self-reliance.
Our current representative, John Coates, has historically run as a Republican, and he is running as a Republican again this year. Therefore, the vote between Mr. Coates and me will be this Thursday, May 17, 2007, at the Republican Mass Meeting at the Culpeper County High School Cafeteria. In order to be nominated and vote, Mr. Coates and I are both required to support the winning candidate in November. Therefore, your opportunity to vote the two announced candidates for the Board is this Thursday. All voters and candidates are required to be present by 7:00 p.m., and it should be brief since there is only one contested election. At the meeting, Mr. Coates and I will each be given three minutes to speak, and then any registered voter in the Salem District will have the opportunity to vote for one of us by paper ballot. Virginia does not permitting voter registration by party, and therefore neither Mr. Coates nor I are registered Republicans.
If you would like an improvement in your local government, please vote for me on May 17, 2007 at the Culpeper County High School Cafeteria. In order to vote, pleasearrive before 7:00 pm, and bring either a photo identification such as your drivers license or your voter registration card. I need your support on May 17. Historically, in meetings where voters had a choice, there have been fewer than 100 voters present. Therefore, your vote will be heard, and it will have a real impact.
Sincerely,
Tom Underwood
Candidate for Culpeper County Board of Supervisors
Salem Magisterial District
Paid for by Tom S Underwood V Political Account
