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Chancellor District appointment, $401 million bond referendum and major county issues promise a busy month in local government
By The Spotsylvania Gazette
SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. — September is shaping up to be an important month for Spotsylvania County, with the Board of Supervisors preparing to fill the vacant Chancellor District seat while county officials begin a major public-information campaign over a roughly $401 million bond referendum that will go before voters in November.
The first major decision comes next week.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday, Sept. 8, on an appointment to temporarily fill the Chancellor District seat left vacant by the Aug. 6 resignation of Supervisor Gerald Childress.
Thirteen people have applied for the position, giving the six remaining supervisors a large field from which to select Chancellor’s temporary representative.
The applicants are Brooke Cunningham, Dawn Shelley, John Charles, Scott P. Foster, Jeff Shattuck, Charles L. Washington Jr., Justin Bernier, Janet Gardon, Amanda Blalock, Laura Catalono, Tim McLaughlin, Steven Cronberry and William McCuen.
The Board is expected to discuss the applicants before making its appointment in public.
Whoever is selected will immediately join a Board dealing with some of the most significant questions facing Spotsylvania County: growth and development, transportation, schools, public safety, data centers, infrastructure and the county’s long-term finances.
The appointment will not permanently settle representation in Chancellor.
The temporary supervisor will serve until a March 16, 2027 special election, when Chancellor District voters will select someone to complete the remainder of Childress’ term, which expires Dec. 31, 2027.
$401 MILLION BOND REFERENDUM MOVES TO CENTER STAGE
While supervisors prepare to fill the vacant seat, another major county issue is beginning to move directly before the public.
On Nov. 3, Spotsylvania voters will be asked whether the county should issue General Obligation bonds for four categories of capital projects.
Together, the four questions total approximately $401 million.
The largest is a $237.3 million school bond question, covering projects that can include school construction and renovations, capital maintenance, HVAC and roof replacements, school buses, technology and other school-system capital needs.
A second question seeks approximately $67.6 million for transportation.
Projects identified by the county include improvements involving Route 208 and Smith Station Road, Germanna Point Drive, Route 2 and Route 17, Harrison Road, rural-road safety projects, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and a proposed roundabout at Old Plank Road and Andora Drive.
Voters will also consider approximately $62 million for public safety, including fire and rescue facilities, apparatus and equipment.
The fourth question seeks approximately $33.7 million for environmental and solid-waste projects, including work at the Livingston Landfill and improvements to county convenience centers.
The four categories would authorize borrowing for capital improvements; they are not simply additions to one year’s operating budget.
That distinction will be important as residents begin examining the referendum.
PUBLIC MEETINGS BEGIN THIS MONTH
County officials have scheduled three public information meetings before Election Day.
The first will be held Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Riverbend High School, 12301 Spotswood Furnace Road.
A second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Spotsylvania High School, 6975 Courthouse Road.
The final scheduled session will be held Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Massaponax High School, 8201 Patriot Highway.
The meetings will give residents an opportunity to learn about the projects and ask questions before voting.
And there should be questions.
Which projects are most urgent?
How much debt does the county expect to issue and when?
How would that borrowing affect taxpayers?
What would happen to the proposed projects if voters reject one or more of the questions?
Those are among the issues residents will need to consider before November.
MORE THAN ONE DECISION
September therefore begins with two very different exercises in representative government.
On Sept. 8, six elected supervisors will decide who temporarily represents Chancellor District.
On Nov. 3, Spotsylvania’s voters themselves will decide whether to authorize hundreds of millions of dollars in borrowing for county and school projects.
Between those dates will come public meetings, Board meetings, community discussions and inevitably disagreements over what Spotsylvania needs and what residents can afford.
Meanwhile, the county continues confronting the broader issues that have dominated much of 2026 — development, data centers, transportation, schools and how to manage continued growth without sacrificing the qualities that brought people to Spotsylvania in the first place.
September won’t resolve all of those questions.
But it could help determine who will be making some of the decisions — and what choices voters themselves will make about Spotsylvania’s future.
The Spotsylvania Gazette will continue covering the Chancellor District appointment, the bond referendum and the issues before the Board of Supervisors throughout September.
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