Several candidates vie for Christiansburg town council race
CHRISTIANSBURG – Political newcomer R. Cord Hall, a Christiansburg attorney, has added his name to the list of candidates for Town Council.
During the May 4 election, Hall, 32, will be up against current Council Members Ernest Wade and Bradford Stipes and former Council Members Steve Huppert and Dan Canada.
Christiansburg attorney R. Cord Hall turns in his petition to run for a spot on the Christiansburg Town Council to County Deputy Registrar Freda Alderman. Several candidates will be vying for a spot on council in the May 4 election.
Hall, who practices law in Pulaski, grew in Christiansburg and attended Radford University and the University of Virginia’s School of Law. In recent statement, Hall said he loves the Christiansburg area so much he has never left, even while attending UVa, when he commuted to Charlottesville five days a week so he and his family would not have to relocate.
“I just love my town,” Hall said. “I could not imagine living anywhere else.”
Hall said he began seriously considering putting in a bid for one of Council’s three at-large seats about six months ago. However, the event that inspired him to run occurred about two years ago, when he became involved in a citizen effort to discourage Council from expanding a subdivision near his home on Sage Lane, which would have increased traffic in the area and compromised the safety of neighborhood children, Hall said. Although some Council members showed genuine concern about the issue, some did not, Hall said.
“That was a tough fight, at times some members of council made us feel not entirely welcome,” Hall said. “But, when a very large number of residents repeatedly turned out in opposition, Council’s position softened. Seeing the faces of many members of our voting public simply caused those members of Council to take us seriously.”
If elected, Hall said he would make sure citizen’s opinion get the respect and attention they deserve. He said he plans to listen to citizen input before making decisions that could affect their lives.
“Their decisions shouldn’t be made beforehand,” Hall said. “Sometimes when I’ve been to Council, certain things were almost a done deal.”
Although he is still working to solidify the key points of his campaign platform, Hall said responsible growth and attention to citizen input on Council decisions are his main focuses.
In addition to his involvement with area service and charitable organizations, Hall coaches his daughter’s softball team. He also serves on the Board of Directors for safe Haven Visitation Centers of Christiansburg, which gives children affected by domestic violence a place to have supervised visitation with their parents and monitors exchanges between parents with joint custody arrangements. Hall said he was concerned at first that a position on Council might affect his other responsibilities.
“Family by far is my first priority,” Hall said. “I’m a father and a husband before anything else.”
Hall is the father of two daughters, Kelsey and Klaire. His wife, Kourtney, a Montgomery County school teacher, encouraged him to run for office, Hall said.
“She is most definitely the better half,” Hall said.
Hall was able to collect nearly 200 signatures to turn into the County Voter Registrar’s Office on March 1, qualifying him for candidacy. Hall said in a recent statement that he will keep his past experiences with the Council in mind as he campaigns and into his term if elected.
“I learned that I do have a voice, and citizens do have a right to be heard. The council needs to treat citizens with issues, whether one person speaks or twenty people, with respect and attention,” Hall said. “Council should be held accountable for their actions, for their decisions, or for their failure to take a stance on an issue. The status quo gets us nowhere: a lot of empty talk with no action. Residents do have a voice, and if I am elected to Council, my efforts will ensure they also have an ear.”
This is exactly what Christiansburg needs. Mr. Hall will make a wonderful addition to Town Council. I have seen him present at some of the Town Council Meetings, and he has shown that he, indeed, knows how to listen, how to do the research, how to present reasonable solution to seemingly overwhelming problems. He has also shown that he truly cares for this Town that he has grown up in, gone to school in, and is now raising a family in. Good luck to you Mr. Hall, you have my vote.
Thanks for running; you certainly will have my vote! Also, will be talking to my neighbors, several of whom are new to the area and really don’t know the candidates.Its always interesting to attend planning commission meetings!!!!! and council meetings – very interesting.