Tense September 22 Meeting Ends With Vote to Preserve Single-Family Character in Historical District

After two years of covering a Town Council body that has remained the same except for a town manager’s departure at the beginning of this year, the Royal Examiner can only approach what was witnessed at a regular meeting on Monday, September 22, with a sense of gravity, as one might have at a funeral. In the wake of numerous work sessions and regular meetings where votes were taken, all the above put strengths and weaknesses equally on display. Monday felt like a culminating point that distilled and clarified perspectives that had long been incubating. With Councilman Bruce Rappaport making emphatic remarks in response to Vice-Mayor Amber Veitenthal’s swift bullet-point of why he was mistaken on a particular issue, with Veitenthal interjecting at one point to correct Councilman Glenn Wood and rebuke him for lying, and, again, Veitenthal interrupting the mayor to urge greater speed as Cockrell attempted to gather everyone’s views on an issue, the press sometimes wonders whether the action being covered is that of a governmental apparatus or that of an adolescent clubhouse meeting.

The Town Council sits for a regular meeting on the evening of Monday, September 22. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

The stakes are life and death, because this is government. It is life and death in a way that transcends the business items being discussed, because without some semblance of order, society dissolves into chaos and anarchy and the type of bickering and disregard for decorum witnessed on Monday night, after two years of similar provocations from Veitenthal, is what gives anarchistic ideologies an excuse for existing; or, at least, it justifies the Randian disengagement from government and recuperation in a libertarian haven, before returning to command the scene. In a self-reflective moment that evening, Veitenthal remarked that she can sometimes appear “abrasive and brash” but attributed these characteristics to the reason she was elected. What worked for her on the playground fails miserably in a world of adults, as Rappaport reached his breaking point and declared, “I will not be attacked!” What makes a man feel attacked could be likened to the archetypal “Hanoi Jane”, a woman who enters a situation that is arguably male-driven, but also frustrating for all involved, and proceeds to correct them without appreciating the social context.

The context is that the town manager has relatively little autonomy. He is, ultimately, in this incarnation, a member of staff and seeks direction from the council. It is his job to implement the consensus. This is complicated by an operator like Veitenthal, who essentially becomes, through interruptive and often histrionic tactics, what the town manager could be if his lack of executive faculty did not impair him. Perhaps, if the council met once a year and informed him of their expectations, delegating to him the authority to make judgment calls, this micromanaged process —meeting three times a month to hear, ostensibly, an update on Veitenthal’s views— would not derail the future of Front Royal. At the bare minimum, the press has a great appetite for hearing Lori Cockrell say to Veitenthal, at some time in the future: I am the mayor, and you are not. It would seem Cockrell is moving in that direction. Several times on Monday night, she regained control of the meeting after two years of largely letting Veitenthal run her course. As Cockrell is likely aware, the validity of having a town council period is being challenged in what is truly a historic moment.

Ella Halliday-Glock stands with Mayor Lori Cockrell, receiving recognition and a gift certificate for her patriotism in leading the gathering in the pledge of allegiance.

In the vein of strengths and weaknesses, Monday night witnessed the triumph of the Board of Architectural Review, after the council unanimously passed an amended, BAR driven motion to preserve the single-family dwelling nature that is most characteristic of the residential Historic District, avoiding, where possible, the development of new multi-family and duplex dwellings in that area and preserving, where possible, existing single-family dwellings as such, while allowing for potential variation through a special-use permitting process. Veitenthal’s passion for property rights and the avoidance of a taking was displayed in her remarks on this item. It is not often that watching a video after reading an article is necessary, but in this case, for what text loses in expression and tone, the reader may wish to make that investment of time. Just as one would not want to condemn the concept of a council based on whatever flaws may be apparent in a specific governing body, neither should a person be condemned in that fashion. For whatever lapse of decorum and the relative divisiveness that brings, Veitenthal continues to be a great libertarian spirit on the council.

A member of the Board of Architectural Review, as well as David Silek, addressed the council during a public hearing pertaining to restrictions for the Historic District.

Hopefully, this reflection is uncharacteristic, as journalism should be dispassionate and objective. However, when driven to a certain point, reflection becomes necessary, especially after two years of observation. While some may wonder whether an economic development authority is needed in the wake of the McDonald scandal, similar questions may arise about the necessity of a town council regarding the display of fateful attributes that likely developed in childhood. It is essential to remember that each member represents the demographic that elected them and, therefore, the issues they exhibit reach beyond the individual being examined. There is a network of individuals subsidiary to Front Royal at large who find Veitenthal’s approach effective and want to keep her in that position. While it may not be realistic to expect a total transformation of Veitenthal’s character, one can recognize that Cockrell does have a spine and commend her for using it on Monday night. Her mayoral track record, which is one of facilitating discussion, is marked by elegance and kindness, if only by allowing a problem to run its course.

Click here to watch the Front Royal Town Council Meeting of September 22, 2025.