Acting Rep Appointed as Election Race Begins

Stafford, Va. — Ty Schieber’s race to be the permanent Garrisonville District Supervisor began Monday night after he was hired to do the job on an interim basis.

Schieber, a Republican who represents Garrisonville on Stafford’s School Board, was unanimously appointed by the six sitting members of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors to replace former Board Chair and now Del. –Elect Mark Dudenhefer (R-Stafford, Woodbridge).

He’ll represent Stafford’s most suburbanized district until April 3, when Garrisonville District residents will head to the polls to decide who will complete the remaining two years of Dudenfeher’s term. The special election date was changed from April 10 to April 3 because the original date conflicted with spring break, said Stafford County Administrator Anthony Romanello.

While Scheiber has the confidence of the Board members who appointed him to serve on the Board, he will not run unopposed. Former Garrisonville Supervisor Gary Pash, a Democrat who preceded Dudenhefer and lost his reelection bid in 2005, said he wants his old job back.

Pash will run on a platform of improving pedestrian crosswalks along busy Va. 610, will look to add a new commuter parking lot near Stafford Regional Airport, and will pursue the purchase of new county park land.

“Stafford, as you know, is one of the wealthiest counties, and the residents of Garrisonville are concerned with a couple of things, and very low on the list is the minimal amount of taxes they pay,” said Pash. “If residents can send their kids to good schools, if they have a quick commute, if their kids are safe and they have places to go and play, then we are all happy.”

Scheiber said Stafford County needs to become less dependent on monies from federal and state sources.

“We have seven magisterial districts here, and there are some issues that are discrete to those in the Garrisonville District, and there are many that touch every single [magisterial district]. From a county perspective, the economy is number one, because the net impact of the bad economy determines the amount of resources we have to tend to the needs and concerns of our constituents,” said Schieber.

Both men vied for the Board appointment and were questioned separately Monday night by members of the sitting Board, and both men delivered carefully-crafted responses when asked if the Board should adopt an At-large Chairman seat, essentially changing is Board structure to resemble something similar to neighboring Prince William County.

Pash said more steps need to be taken – like learning how an At-large Chairman would serve the Board, and to make sure an At-large Chair wouldn’t diminish the abilities of sitting supervisors –before the decision to elect at At-large Chairman could be put up to residents. Scheiber said he would let residents choose if it ever came to a vote, but added he doesn’t like the idea.

“What would be reason to change what is currently working very well –a Chairman selected by piers is a healthy one in a county of our size and composition,” said Schieber. “It promotes civility, collaboration, and it also allows for – if the body of seven allows it — a fresh change of ideas and leadership every year.”

Currently, Stafford’s Board Chair is selected by sitting Board members. County officials would have to petition lawmakers in Richmond to allow for the implementation of an elected At-large seat in the county.