Get to know your candidates — Town Council

Will Griffin (Mayoral candidate, incumbent): “Floyd is amazing, as we all know. Those of us that get to consider it home share a responsibility to protect and preserve what those that came before us built. I am not just talking about brick and mortar or sidewalks. We have a beautiful town that is the envy of a lot of places nationwide. But we also have something magical about our home that cannot be replicated. It is the people and their approach to life that define our community. That has to be protected. Growth and change are inevitable, but we can not forget our past when planning our future.”

Chris Bond (Council candidate, incumbent): “My vision for the future is to continue making the town a wonderful place to live, to run a business and to visit. We have a lot of good things going on here and a real sense of community. I think that is evident by how many people are looking for homes in town, or close by, and by how many visitors we have.”

Lisa Thompson (Council candidate, nonincumbent): “I would like to see Floyd continue to grow as the community that it is while embracing that idea even more fully. Floyd is wonderful. I think that you can ask anyone that you meet and they will tell you how much they love our town and county. I see opportunities for partnerships and growth so that more people in our community can thrive.”

Bruce Turner (Council candidate, incumbent): “As far as the Town of Floyd, I hope to see it continue to grow and thrive and prosper, and to keep our young people here and bring some of them back to Floyd… to bring their families and experiences back to Floyd to continue to help Floyd grow.”

Griffin: “My family originally moved here in 1981 when my father, Olin Griffin, accepted the position of Plant Manager at Hollingsworth and Vose. After college, I lived in the Charlotte area for 15 years and returned to Floyd in 2003. I am blessed. Misty and I have so many people here that mean everything to us. The roots we have grown here will last us a lifetime. There just isn’t another place like home.”

Bond: “Other than my first five years out of college, I have lived in Floyd my entire life. I have been a town resident since 2003, when my wife Kim and I bought a home on Sumpter Circle. The only places I have lived besides Floyd are Roanoke, Christiansburg and Radford, but I know without a doubt that there is no better place to live, and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. It’s just special. I have seen this community come together so many times to help out a neighbor or a family in need. There is a genuine sense of caring for others that is just unmatched and that you won’t find anywhere else.”

Thompson: “I have been in Floyd since 2011, my family was visiting several times a year with my in-laws who lived in Christiansburg. I have never experienced anything like this community. I see people actively trying to help either their neighbors or people they don't even know. Floyd is unlike anywhere that I have ever lived. It is not something that goes unnoticed by our citizens and visitors.”

Turner: “I have lived in town all my life. I spent 32 years working at the Sheriff's Office, in various positions including chief deputy and investigation. I have family that still lives in Floyd. I spent 11 years on the rescue squad, and I have served on several boards, including Plenty, New River Valley Health Foundation Board, rescue squad Board of Trustees, PSA Board of Directors, just to name a few. I really want to make a keep the town a place that we all can love and appreciate and call home.”

Griffin: “I am a Floyd guy. Granted, I wasn’t born here but I have lived here the majority of my life, married a Floyd County girl, attended Floyd County High School and raised my children here. When Reed and Addie became school aged, I wanted to raise them here, so we moved back home. The main thing I want people to know about me is that I love my home and am willing to do this as an attempt to preserve our history while also evolving to ensure our future.”

Bond: “The main thing I want town residents to know is that aside from being a Council member, I am a member of the community first and foremost. Decisions we make as a Council affects each person at the table just as much as it affects our residents. As an elected representative, priorities of the residents are in turn my priorities. I encourage any and all residents to attend meetings if you ever have any questions or concerns. The majority of our meetings are witnessed by an empty room. I like to think it’s because everyone is happy with the job we are doing, but that may be naïve on my part.”

Thompson: “I'm honest and approachable. I think that at this point people know that I am here to listen and to try to help them.”

Turner: “If re-elected I hope and plan to continue to keep the town citizens the first priority in any decision making, making sure that what we do is a benefit to the Town and its citizens, and also keeping in mind Floyd as a whole since it is the center of Floyd County, and folks do come to town to do business as well.”

Griffin: “We have been extremely busy as a town. We still have work to do. The biggest project currently is the redevelopment of the Donkenney property (warehouse behind Food Lion). The Town acquired that property a year ago. Development will take several years to complete. The property is over 5.5 acres and has the opportunity to significantly change our town. It is by far the biggest project we have taken on during my tenure in town government. We must get it right. We have been fortunate to this point with acquiring partners to assist us and will continue to rely on them to guide us. Community involvement will also play a large part in what will happen there.”

Bond: “First and foremost, I enjoy serving on Town Council, so I never considered not seeking another term. This group works well together, and we have had numerous successes such as the Small Town Summer events at the Warren G. Lineberry Park and the recent acquisition, clean up, and sale of the Harris Street property. We are also in the middle of a couple of big projects that I would like to see through to completion; one being the acquisition and clean up of the old Donkenney property and the other being the construction of a new Public Works building.”

Turner: “We have several projects going on in the town that we are involved with in some form or another, but our big project is the old DonnKenny property, which the Town purchased with the intent of developing. We have had several meetings, working on ideas and so forth, with the Town Council members and staff, residents of both the town and county, and businesses asking for input as to what they would like to see in the property and the needs of the community as well. This is an ongoing project that, at some point, we will be looking for a developer to take ownership of and hopefully work with the Town, the citizens, and other stakeholders to develop into something we all will be proud of and will add to the town.”

(Alt: What are some issues or reasons you decided to run for public office?)

Thompson: “I decided to run for Town Council based on the work I already do. I sit on three boards at this time. Through the work the boards do and my involvement with the community, it seemed like the natural next step.”

Griffin: “Not much, thankfully, from my perspective. It is unfortunate that politics have become right versus left when it should always be right versus wrong. Our job becomes much more difficult when national politics are allowed to become a focal point. I hate to be considered a politician. What we do as town government is community service. I have always said that it will be time to quit when those important to me tell me I am acting like a politician — it’s just not me.”

Bond: “As far as Town Council goes, the impact of national politics plays no role in what we do as a Council. I think I speak for the Council as a whole when I say that if this role had anything to do with politics, none of us would be involved. Our role is to make the town the best it can be for residents, businesses, and visitors.”

Thompson: “Everything local is local. From a federal perspective, there might be certain federal programs that might impact the town in terms of grant funding.”

Turner: “With my several years of Council experience, we have tried to keep national politics out of our decision making, and focus on the people of Town, and be Floyd.”

Griffin: “The Donkenney Project is the big one. The impact of that project will have a lasting impact on the town. We have been very fortunate in our past decision making in past years, which has allowed us financial stability. We must remain fiscally responsible. Another goal is to work on improving the relationship between Town and County governments — not saying that the relationship is bad, but it could be better. Case Clinger, Lauren Yoder, and I worked hard on that and implemented programs that were to foster the relationship for years to come. More communication and trust would help things along.
“We have a very outdated and tired water system that not only serves town but also county residents, two schools, and our industrial park. Our long-term planning for this system has not been very good, and we need to give it the attention it needs. Unfortunately, our time has been consumed with repairs. This is not sustainable. Without water, we don’t have an industrial park, functioning schools, or the ability to serve the PSA customers. Hard conversations need to happen now. Proactive is always better than being forced to be reactive. Water is too big of an issue for our community.”

Bond: “As noted above, I would like to see Council successfully complete our two big ongoing projects regarding public works and clearing off the Donkenney property. Another goal I have is to develop a Capital Project budget to address some immediate needs within the town.
Mayor Griffin, Town Manager Andrew Morris, and myself make up the Town Finance Committee, and we have identified a few areas that need attention as soon as possible. One of these is in regard to the Floyd PSA Joint Authority in partnership with the County. It’s no secret that we have an antiquated water and sewer system that the PSA has been doing a good job of band-aiding over the last several years. We are reaching a point where the County and Town are going to have to invest to ensure the sustainability of this system. It is vital for our community. Many folks think the PSA only serves only town residents, but it also serves neighboring residents of the County, major businesses such as H&V, Citizens and others, and Floyd Elementary and Floyd County High School.
“We also have several Town-maintained roads and alleys that are in dire need of repairs. We hope to lay out a five-year plan to start addressing some of these issues sooner rather than later.”

Thompson: “To foster a more interactive Council with the town's citizens — make Town Council more transparent — and I would like to be out in the community to listen and talk to our citizens.”

Turner: “I hope to continue the path we are going, to make the town a place that we, as town citizens, can be proud of and enjoy what’s available, such as businesses, parks, walking trails, new sidewalks, etc. I hope to continue to improve the town and serve the citizens with the responsibilities they have entrusted to me, to make good and responsible decisions on their behalf, to use their money wisely, and to keep their concerns in mind when making decisions for the town citizens.”

Griffin: “I have been Mayor since 2007. That is impossible for me to believe. My intention was never to serve that long, but it has been extremely rewarding. I am very proud of the work that Town Council has done over that period. Completion of our Community Development Block Grant, a TEA-21 Grant, the Town Sidewalk Project, development of Lineberry Park, purchase/rehabilitation/sale of the Harris Street properties, and the execution of our Loan Pool fund are just some of the highlights. I have worked with four Town Managers: Korene Thompson, Lance Terpenny, Kayla Cox and currently, Andrew Morris. They have all been good for Floyd. Kayla Cox and I worked through a lot of issues together, and there was no one I would have rather worked with. Just a wonderful person. Andrew Morris has been with us for a while now and is doing a fantastic job. We are very fortunate to have him leading us.
“It has been rewarding hiring local people into that position and watching their love of their community show through in their work. Former mayors Skip Bishop and Robert Shelor have also been instrumental in my development as a Mayor. I really miss Skip. Gino Williams, another former mayor, has always been helpful whenever I have needed or asked for his input. Just 10 years ago, Floyd had a budget of around $500,000. This year, our budget is right at $1 million. Floyd has changed, hopefully for the better, without losing its identity. Town is busier than it has ever been with no signs of slowing down. Our job is to not mess that up.”

Bond: “The main change I have seen in my six years is just how much the town continues to grow and thrive. During the last year or two, we have had more big projects than probably the last 20 years combined. With the footprint of the town being so small, it's very important to capitalize on all areas for improvement when they arise. The Harris Street and Donnkenney projects are tremendous opportunities to turn something that was bringing nothing to the town or its residents in its current condition into something the residents of the Town and County can be proud of. For me personally, I just feel the experience I have gained from serving on Council helps me be better prepared and do a good job of serving.”

Turner: “Things have changed some since I first came on Town Council. The town has more businesses, traffic, more visitors than ever before, with some folks making Floyd a destination, just to visit and take in its uniqueness. From The Floyd Country Store and the music on Friday nights, and the changes to the downtown area over the last several years, to new businesses coming into town, it's just a good thing to see where the town is now compared to back in the day when just about everything in town was closed after 6 o'clock, and the streets were empty. The activities that are going on in the town from one end to the other, all the businesses doing their own things in entertainment and so forth for their customers, are very good to see. The town is alive and drawing people to Floyd as a whole… it's just amazing how the town is growing, with more business and people wanting to move in and call Floyd their home, it's really a good thing to have.”

(Alt: Local and state elections typically draw fewer voters than national elections. How do you encourage voters to make their voice heard?)

Thompson: “It’s a personal choice of an individual if they vote or not. When we realize that local government has more to do with our daily lives, that is when we realize the importance of voting. People will either choose to participate or not, and all I can do as a candidate is be as open and approachable as possible.”

Griffin: “I have not campaigned. I am running unopposed this time. I do want to stress that I am available at any time to address needs or concerns. My cell phone is (540) 239-7892.”

Bond: “Answering these questions for the Floyd Times is the only campaigning I’ve done so far. With early voting starting now, I do plan on getting out and making some visits. Maybe put out a few signs, even though I’m not a big sign guy. I do want everyone to know that I’m always accessible via email at councilmanbond@townoffloyd.org or by phone at (540) 267-6915. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or you just want to talk about things going on in town.”

Thompson: “I have signs around town, and I talk to people when I'm out. I hope to continue to meet people where they live and work.”

Turner: “I think a lot of folks are tired of politics and are looking for their representatives to do what they were elected to do. I may be known to some, and I know a lot of people have moved into town that don't know me, but I really am not a politician nor do I want to be one. The old way of going door to door is always good, but in today's society, social media and so forth are the primary ways of campaigning. I don't plan to put out signs — I think most people know who they plan to vote for. To me there's not a lot of issues as far as the town to campaign on, but I'm always open to hear any concerns that you may have, if you see me out walking or wherever, I'm always open to talk and address issues, or to just listen to what you have to say.”

Griffin: “As an entity, the Town of Floyd is thriving. We are very fortunate to be able to take on projects and complete them the right way. We have an exceptional Town Council. We get along well with each other because we share a common theme and that is a love for our home and a desire to serve. It is an honor to work with the people at that table. Each of them has qualities that are hard to find and harder to replace. I would encourage all Town residents to meet us and carefully consider your vote this November.”

Bond: “Along with serving on Town Council the past six years, I also serve on the Town of Floyd Planning Commission. I have served on the Commission since its inception in 2010. That experience and the things I learned serving with that group really helped prepare me for my role on Council. Throughout those years, we had several joint meetings, and I was able to observe how Council meetings operated and what it looked like to make things run smoothly in town. I felt like it was a beneficial precursor to serving on Council. “

Thompson: “I'm here for them.”