Front Royal Town Council Candidates Forum held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

The Front Royal Catholic Civic Education Group sponsored the Town Council Candidates Forum held at the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Front Royal on September 16, 2022.

The Front Royal Catholic Civic Education Group wants the community to be able to make informed choices regarding the November election, so they asked all Front Royal Town Council candidates to this Candidates’ Forum.

Approximately 200 people filled the parish hall below the Church.  The format was typical for such events. Everyone was given time for opening and closing remarks. The moderator was Wayne White, from Lake Frederick, who asked each candidate to respond to the same questions on subjects relating to the office sought.

Candidates for the Town Council special election to fill the vacant seat of Scott Lloyd include Gene Kilby and Wayne Sealock.

Candidates Josh Ingram, Zack Jackson, Amber Poe, and Bruce Rappaport are running for the three open seats on Town Council in the November election.  Lori Cockrell is the lone candidate for Mayor.

Watch the Candidates Forum on this exclusive Royal Examiner video.

Questions were provided to the candidates as they arrived at the forum, and no questions were taken from the audience.

Questions for the candidates:

1. Warren Public Schools. Over the past two years, parents’ concerns over COVID restrictions, school curricula, and discipline have contributed to a decline in public school attendance. In fact, public records show that 23 % of school-age children in Warren County are no longer attending public schools. Would you, as a member of the Town Council, support a town property tax credit of some form for town residents who choose to send their children to private schools or who homeschool, since their children are currently not attending public schools, which saves the taxpayers approximately $15,000 per student per year? Why or why not?
2. Front Royal Economic Development Authority: Data Centers. The Front Royal Economic Development Authority (FREDA) has recommended bringing data centers to Front Royal. The Town Council has been asked to approve a zoning change to facilitate that proposal. Data Centers have environmental and infrastructure as well as financial issues associated with them. Do you believe that before the Council makes its zoning decision, FREDA should hold public hearings to address community concerns? What oversite mechanisms would you recommend for the Council to put in place to ensure transparency of a project of this magnitude?
3. Economic Development of Front Royal. Many say Front Royal has untapped economic development potential. What would you do to attract more businesses to this community with better-paying jobs? Please give us some examples of those businesses that you believe would be a good fit for our community.
4. Derelict Buildings in Front Royal. Many citizens are concerned about derelict buildings that reflect poorly on the town. Some argue that the Town has limited options to correct these problems. However, research suggests a possible approach to reducing derelict buildings would be to tax assessments that reflect the actual property market value. For example, the derelict building at Commerce Avenue and 6th Street is zoned commercial use and is in a high-traffic area. In 2021, the building was assessed and taxed at $140,000, and this year it was assessed at $147,000. However, in August of this year, the building was listed at $275,000. In other words, it was only assessed at just about half of its commercial real estate value. If derelict buildings were assessed and taxed at their true market value, owners may be less likely to leave them idle and or have them repaired. Real estate assessment is the responsibility of the Warren County government. If you are elected, what would you do to resolve the under-assessment value of derelict buildings with the County to remove or improve these facilities?
5. Future of Main Street. We understand that people have different opinions as to making Main Street a pedestrian-only mall between Chester Avenue and Royal Avenue. Where do you stand on the idea of such a change, and why?

Questions for the Front Royal Mayoral Candidate.

Along with the five questions above, two additional questions were asked of the mayor candidate.

1. As a member of the Front Royal Town Council for two years and now as a candidate for Mayor, looking back, is there anything that you would have done differently during your tenure on the Council? If so, please provide some specifics on the issues and how a different position would have benefitted the Town.
2. In the Front Royal Town Code, the Mayor has responsibility for the operation and conduct of the Front Royal Police. As Mayor, would you be in favor of a Citizen Advisory Council to assist the police with police/citizen conflicts? Please explain why or why not you would consider a group like that to assist in resolving such issues.