Special Election Mulled

North Stafford, Va. — As Del.-Elect Mark Dudenhefer (R-2, Stafford, Woodbridge) prepares for his new job in Richmond, Stafford County officials must appoint someone new to fill his Board of Supervisors seat.

Dudenhefer, who has served as Chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors since 2010 and on the Board since 2005, chaired his final meeting Tuesday night. Now the Board must appoint a new Supervisor to the Garrisonville District in North Stafford.

County officials have placed ads soliciting applications from Garrisonville residents interested in serving on an interim basis, but so far no potential replacements have surfaced. The Board is expected to appoint someone before the end of January, and afterward Supervisors, among themselves, will decide who the new Chairman of the Board will be, as it is not an At-Large position.

Officials said interested candidates have until Dec. 27 to apply and have their qualifications vetted for the job. After an interim Supervisor is in place in Garrisonville, a special election that will decide who will finish Dudenhefer’s elected term – which ends in 2013 – will be held sometime in 2012

“For anyone who is interested or has ever thought about the opportunity, this is a unique opportunity [to serve in an interim basis] because you can get a taste of what it’s like being on the Board without having to campaign to get here,” said Dudenhefer.

The special election that decides the permanent supervisor cannot interfere with the Presidential Primary Election in March, and with 2012 being a Presidential Election year, some Supervisors feared residents would ignore a special election in Garrisonville if it were not held in concert with the November Presidential Election.

“If you were to ask me, and I know you haven’t asked me, but if you did my advice would be to [hold the Garrisonville special election] in November,” said Stafford County Voter Registrar Greg Riddlemoser.

Supervisors, including the new Griffis-Widewater District Supervisor Jack Cavalier and George Washington District Supervisor Bob Thomas, who will replace Bob Woodson and Harry Crisp, respectively, next month, will vote on when to hold the special election. Woodson and Crisp decided not to seek reelection.

Whenever the special Garrisonville vote is held, Riddlemoser told the Board it should cost $8,000 to conduct the special election before the cost of advertising.

Dudenhefer said he’s advocated for an open and honest process during his transition with both the interim appointment and the choosing of a special election date, but said it’ll be up to the new Board in January to make the final decision.

“So many people in Garrisionvile voted for me and count on me to support them, and in some ways I almost feel like I’m letting them down because I actually won’t even be apart of the process that brings that person to come sit in this chair next year,” said Dudenhefer.