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EXCLUSIVE REPORT

On June 17th, voters will choose either Sally Duncan or Dave Shreve to succeed Diantha McKeel as the Democratic nominee for Supervisor of the Jack Jouett magisterial district.

Every single vote matters:  the last time Albemarle County held a local primary race, the winner was determined by a mere 139 total votes (Bea LaPisto Kirtley defeated Jerrod Smith for the Rivanna district Supervisor seat in 2019).

Crozet United sat down with both candidates to learn more about their backgrounds, platforms, and perspectives on important local issues.

Sally Duncan

Tell me a little about yourself.

Sally Duncan is a teacher, mother of five, and a woman driven by personal experience with the affordable housing crisis.  “We lost our home in the housing crash,” she  relates.  Sally and her husband now rent a house in Earlysville. “Housing in our area is ridiculously expensive. How are people like us ever going to become homeowners?”

Originally from Michigan, Sally decided to move her family to Albemarle County 10 years ago.  She enrolled her children in Albemarle County Public Schools and enrolled herself in PVCC.  A few years later, she transferred to UVA where she earned both her undergraduate and master’s degree.

“It’s an interesting experience going to college as an adult.  On the one hand, you feel out of place surrounded by much younger classmates.  But bringing real-world experience to the classroom also gave me a different perspective and made me appreciate it even more.”

Sally’s formal civic experience includes serving on her local Library Board in Michigan and on the Historic Resources Committee in Charlottesville.   As a teacher, her passion for improving public education is infectious.  “Truly supporting our teachers and students is about much more than an annual budget compromise.  I want the students to know that their government cares about them. Maybe the Board of Supervisors could even embed an update about our schools into each of their meetings.”

Why isn’t Albemarle County’s affordable housing program working? What would you do differently to create more affordable housing?

“It’s not working because there are still too many obstacles that prevent us from building enough housing and building it fast enough.”  For example, Sally thinks the County needs to hire more site planners to significantly accelerate its development process and maximize the density of new residential developments.

“Supervisors are only approving 58% of the homes that could fit on a particular piece of land,” she said.  To encourage more development, she supports developer incentives, fully funding the Housing Trust Fund, and adding more properties to the Land Trust, and housing subsidies.

“I feel strongly that we owe teachers and our other public service employees an opportunity to own their own home near their place of work.  I know what its like.”

Should we expand the development areas (like Crozet and Hollymead) and build more residential housing in the rural areas?

“Yes, especially around the urban core where we have already invested in transportation and school infrastructure.”  Sally sees an opportunity to build affordable housing in the rural area.  “New development is currently restricted to 5% of the total area of the County, and most of it has been used up.  If we truly want to build affordable housing, we need more places to build it.”

Are we doing enough to protect the environment?

“No.  A study shows that transportation accounts for 52% of Albemarle County’s carbon emissions.  We must cut down on the time people spend commuting to work by building more walkable communities,” Sally said.  In addition, she supports protecting local streams and other natural resources, but thinks we need to take a more balanced approach. “We need to think holistically about the County’s competing priorities for the way we use our limited amount of land.”

To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, do Supervisors have an ethical obligation to disclose meetings they have with developers and other private parties?

“Yes.  And in full disclosure, I am already meeting with several local developers to get their perspective.  If the County’s goal is to build more housing, they deserve a seat at the table.”

On an hourly basis, a good Supervisor earns less than the minimum wage.  Why did you decide to run, and what personal strengths would you bring to the role?

Sally is quick to admit this is her first time on the campaign trail. “I never intended to become a politician” Sally said.  The campaign is clearly personal to her; an important trait for a Supervisor charged with representing their entire community. “I have a pro-people mindset.  I am a good listener, and I ensure that I always get all sides of an issue.” No one who meets her will doubt her sincerity.

You can learn more about Sally Duncan at her website, https://sallyforsupervisor.com/