In Virginia, town councils are elected leaders charged with overseeing town government. They have the power to set tax rates, make zoning decisions that determine how land can be used, oversee local emergency services and much more.

The Town of Gordonsville has four council members and a mayor elected to staggered four-year terms. This year, two incumbents are running for two open seats on Town Council: Mary “Cyd” Black and Nicholas Paxton. 

Charlottesville Tomorrow designed a questionnaire for the candidates based on responses we received from our voter survey. They provided answers below listed in the order we received them.

What’s next after Verling Park

Gordonsville is finishing a decade-long community effort to transform Verling Park, building a new public pool and expanding the park to nearly 10 acres with new trails, a pavilion and a playground. Much of the roughly $7 million project came from community fundraising and grants rather than town taxes. With this major investment nearing completion, what do you think the town should turn its attention to next?

Nick Paxton: Over the past 1-2 years, the Town Council and town staff have been reviewing both the Town Code and the Town Land Ordinances. Town Council is in the process of reviewing proposed changes.* Recent events have led to more public input, and hopefully more residents recommending changes to any other policies, codes, or ordinances that should be looked into.

*Editor’s note: According to Gordonsville Town Council meeting minutes and agendas, discussion of the town code and land ordinances has been a standing agenda item since at least April 2026, and has been referenced in earlier meetings, including February 2026. 

Mary “Cyd” Black: Our ongoing efforts to fix our streets and sidewalks.

Main Street and tourism

Gordonsville has built a strong reputation as a tourist location. Outlets like Southern Living have called it “the best little Main Street in Virginia,” with locally owned boutiques, galleries and restaurants drawing visitors from across the region. What’s your vision for keeping Main Street thriving, and what would you do to support it?

Paxton: Main Street is headed in a good direction. Between advances made by the Gordonsville Merchants Association before it disbanded, and the ongoing work of our Community and Economic Development Director Anna Pillow, Main Street, its merchants, and its customers, will continue to improve and propel the reputation of the town as a whole.

Black: Supporting and continuing and possibly adding Gordonsville events to bring tourists to our town. I would like to expand our Main Street restaurants and retail all the way to the Ice House.

Affordability

At the same time, Gordonsville’s poverty rate sits at 14.1% as of the last U.S. Census projections published in 2025. That’s well above the state average of 9.7%. Voters who responded to our voter survey frequently cited affordability as a key issue they face. What, if anything, do you think the town can do to make Gordonsville more affordable for residents?

Paxton: The simplest, and the one most people everywhere want, is to lower taxes. That option is also the most difficult. My belief is that we as Council should take a better look at what we currently have and improve the functionality of our current resources without raising taxes or cutting services. 

My hope is that with the help and advice of our current and future staff we make better use of what we have, and possibly even increase services to residents. We may not be able to lower taxes or put money directly back into the pockets of our residents like the federal government claims they will do each month,* but we can ease the burden in less talked about ways, though not directly financial. We can give residents a better experience of town life. Simplify paying town bills, update the website, communicate better. Different and indirect, but doable.

*Editor’s note: President Donald Trump has been vocal in various forums about making tax cuts and improving tax refunds. The net effect of the administration’s tax policies is an increase in taxes for most Americans in 2026, with the cuts primarily benefiting the top 5% in terms of income and the biggest benefits going to the top 1%, according to research from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan nonprofit that analyzes tax and economic proposals. Trump has also promised various direct payments or “dividends” to Americans in his second term connected to his policy goals, but they have not been paid according to reporting from Newsweek and other outlets.

Black: Adding more affordable housing.

Emergency Services

EMS services in Gordonsville have been a frequent topic of conversation at town council meetings, with residents speaking at public comment about wait times and the fire department requesting on-site EMS staffing from the county. The town of Gordonsville passed a resolution requesting the county to prioritize the establishment of an EMS unit within the town. Do you think EMS wait times are an issue in Gordonsville and how do you envision collaboration with the county over this issue? 

Paxton: Whether you call it an issue or not, wait times can definitely improve, and bringing an EMS unit to Gordonsville is supported by many in our town and district. Town officials now meet quarterly with county officials specifically to discuss Fire and EMS operations. Collaboration is there now, so it’s currently a matter of funding an ambulance. Whether that is a Board of Supervisors FY28 (fiscal year 2028) budget item with the support of at least three supervisors or a shared expense between the county and town, an ambulance needs to be in town sooner rather than later for the benefit of us all. The unit would be for countywide use obviously, but based in Gordonsville and more than likely to improve call times for town residents.

Black: Yes, I think EMS times are an issue. I personally had a problem with response time. 

Sewer

Gordonsville has been fighting with its sewer provider, Rapidan Service Authority, since a 2024 rate increase soured the relationship. The town voted in January 2026 to end its decades-old sewer contract, shifting billing directly to RSA. That fight escalated further in August, when RSA sued the town, claiming it breached its contract by failing to make a required payment. How do you think the town should resolve this dispute, and what should Gordonsville’s relationship with RSA look like going forward?

Paxton: The town needs to resolve the issue by standing our ground and standing on the facts. We have come too far at this point without wavering only to just go back to billing for RSA again. The mayor summarized the situation timeline and reasons at the most recent community meeting, which can be viewed online.* Some view the current status differently, but we are on the right side of this and need to see it through for the good of our residents and what they originally called for in the first place. RSA needs to improve its infrastructure and hopefully stop the drastic annual rate increases. The Town of Gordonsville will eventually be outside of the issue. It will be a utility-customer relationship without the town in the middle. Issues will need to be resolved between the resident and RSA. The Town will have a much smaller relationship with RSA.

*Editor’s note: The Piedmont Journal Recorder posted an audio recording of the Oct. 5 Gordonsville community meeting online. During that meeting, Councilmembers discuss the background and current status of the dispute with RSA.

Black: No response.

Are there any other pressing issues facing the Town of Gordonsville that you think voters should know about?

Paxton: I’ll list a few things, issues or big news. We are beginning the search for our third town manager in three years. The town needs to look further into both updating town water infrastructure soon and building our own water treatment plant. An apartment complex that will also be restoring Historic District buildings is beginning construction soon.* We’d love more residents to come to meetings to stay updated and have their voices routinely heard.

*Editor’s notes: Junction Apartments, which are planned for 201 West King St. and 201, 203, 205, 207, 209, and 301 North Main St. in Gordonsville, will include multifamily residential housing as well as “a retail component” according to proposals and planning documents. The development also aims to preserve and restore historic buildings, according to the proposal submitted to the Planning Commission. 

Black: Our collaboration with ICE.*