Current Issues

C500 is focusing on these issues:

C500 Position Statement in Support of Ni Village Rezoning Application at October 11, 2011 BoS Public Hearing
Local Redistricting: C500 is actively involved in the redistricting process because its results will have significant effects on Spotsylvania’s governance for the next ten years.
- C500 position statement at December 8, 2010 Redistricting Community Information meeting
- C500 position statement at March 28, 2011 Redistricting Community Information meeting
- Spotsylvania County webpage re: census and local redistricting
- ” Drawing the Line 2011: Redistricting in Virginia ” This 28 page document describes the process and law as it applies to Virginia.
- C500 Redistricting Statement, April 11, 2011
- County Redistricting Draft 2A
2012 Budget: C500 has endorsed the county administrator’s proposed budget which calls for an 86-cent tax rate.
- C500 position statement at March 24, 2011 county budget hearing
- Free Lance-Star article on March 25, 2011 about budget hearing

"Smart Growth” Management: This remains a key continuing theme for C500. (See “Principles and Key Implementing Actions” for major elements of smart growth.) We remain convinced that the strategies of smart growth should be carefully adhered to and actively applied by the County as a normal part of its planning and zoning activities. C500 will actively monitor various aspects of smart growth within Spotsylvania, and may selectively provide comments and opinions to the Planning Department, Planning Commission and/or Board of Supervisors on certain high-impact major projects or issues.
2011 Supervisor Elections: As always, we are looking ahead to the Board of Supervisors elections. The next election is in November 2011, and will include four districts (Chancellor, Courtland, Livingston, and Salem.) We try to continuously monitor the performance of sitting supervisors, as well as encourage highly qualified potential candidates to consider running. Starting several months before each election, C500 carefully follows a well-structured process to evaluate candidates for their overall adherence to our C500 Principles (see “Principles and Key Implementing Actions” page), including distributing and putting on our website each candidate's responses to our written questionnaire, and holding in-person interviews and public candidate forums. Based on all of these, we make our candidate endorsements and work hard to help get these individuals elected.

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Presentations from the C500 2011 Community Forums
held April 3, May 1, and June 5 at the Salem Church Library

April 3, 2011 - What Makes a Great Community? How Does Spotsylvania Measure Up?

Dave Anderson, Consultant, Placemaking PLLC, and Tim Davey, Chairman, Richmond District Council, Urban Land Institute (What are the characteristics of a great community? Examples from great communities: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
Dean Lynch, Deputy Executive Director, Virginia Association of Counties ( How does Spotsylvania compare in services and taxes to other Counties in VA? )
Lloyd Robinson, Administrator, FAMPO - Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization ( What was learned about Spotsylvania in the Regional Land Use Scenario Planning survey? How does Spotsylvania compare to the rest of the region? )
Doug Barnes, County Administrator, Spotsylvania County (How does Spotsy generate and spend revenue? What unfunded mandates do we deal with? What portion of the budget is in our control? What is our recent tax history?)

May 1, 2011 - What Kind of Community Do We Want? Where Do We Invest?

Jobs/Economic Development: Keith Segerson, Managing Director, Mason Enterprise Center, George Mason University, discussing key factors for increased economic development and local jobs
Tourism/Historic Preservation/Recreation: Pamela Goddard, Chesapeake and Virginia Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, discussing the economic value of our National Parks and the relationship between local and Parks recreation planning
Fire/EMS: Willie G. Shelton, Jr. CEM, Director, Virginia Department of Fire Programs, discussing how to have an effective combination volunteer/paid system.

June 5, 2011 - What Kind of Community Do We Want? Where Do We Invest?

Education: Dr. Brenda Seals, Asst. Superintendent of Human Resources, Spotsylvania County Public Schools, “ Best Practices for Quality Schools and Efficient Use of Taxpayer Dollars
Green Infrastructure: Kevin Byrnes, Director of Regional Planning, GWRC (George Washington Regional Commission), The Uses and Benefits of Green Infrastructure Planning
Transportation, Alfred Harf, Executive Director, PRTC (Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission), What Are the Transportation Choices for Spotsy?

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The Committee of 500

P.O. Box 1697

Spotsylvania, Virginia 22553

committee500@pobox.com