Terry Holmes appointed as interim Staunton City Council member
STAUNTON — It was a long evening for Staunton City Council as they held interviews for the vacant seat left by the resignation of former mayor Andrea Oakes. After five interviews and hearing from the residents who gathered in council chambers and viewing the meeting from home, Terry Holmes was chosen to return to city council.
Back for more: Terry Holmes named interim city council member
Holmes is a familiar face on council, having just served on council for over eight years. The crux of Holmes application stemmed from his familiarity with council and his understanding of the city's current position.
"I just came off of council, so you wouldn’t have to get me up on the budget and all of the things that are going on in town," Holmes said during the interview. That point seemed to have resonated with the council.
“Terry Holmes brings experience in many areas to this Council, including the hard work needed get through a budget cycle, and Terry has done eight of those, more than the combined total of all the current members,” said Mayor Stephen Claffey in a statement released by the city.
Holmes does not plan on running in the special election in November to fill the seat until the end of Oakes' term.
What about the other candidate interviews?
Council interviewed four other applicants on Thursday night for the vacant seat.
Kenneth Venable: Venable is a former member of Staunton School Board and has run for city council in the past. Venable called himself an "out of the box thinker" during interviews, and leaned on his background not just in the public sector but in the corporate world to be able to stay on top of budgets and keep an eye on the future in the face of current decisions.
Graham Butler: Butler is a former member of the military and a lawyer practicing in Virginia for years. Butler said his best skill was mediation, which he'd heard was needed on Staunton City Council. He also expressed displeasure in the relocation in the Augusta County courthouse facilities, and stated a need for the city to expand its perimeters and lower tax rates on businesses to promote growth.
Wilson Fauber: Fauber is a lifelong resident of Staunton and Augusta County, and is a real estate professional in the area. He believed his intimate knowledge of Staunton from his lifetime would help council make decisions, and was concerned with the housing stock that currently exists in the city. With projects like Staunton Crossing building steam, he was concerned about where people who would work in Staunton would be living.
Adam Campbell: Campbell is a current member of Staunton's planning commission, and has been working around local governments for most of his professional life. He said his best skills were problem-solving and critical thinking, as well as an ability to work together with others. Campbell also spoke to unexplored grant opportunities for the city to increase investment, and wants to see the city invest more in businesses, especially ones that are already existing.
Live blog from interviews:Blog: Holmes appointed after finalists interviewed
How did the public react to the interviews?
Residents of Staunton who spoke during the public comment portion of the evening were not shy about showing their support for candidates, with many speaking in favor of Campbell and Venable.
"Someone who's principled, honest, respectful of others," one speaker said of the qualities she wanted to see in the new council member. She thanked the council for "the new tone" and sense of humor.
"You all make Staunton better, one decision at a time," she told the council.
Something that multiple residents mentioned was wanting a candidate who was "forward-thinking." This was brought up in reference to candidates Campbell, Fauber, and Venable.
Of the candidates who interviewed on Thursday evening, Campbell and Fauber both stated their intent to run for the seat in the special election in November.
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—Akhil Ganesh is the Government Reporter at The News Leader. You can contact him at aganesh@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @akhildoesthings.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton City Council names Terry Holmes as interim member
