In Virginia, towns and cities can have either a “weak mayor” or “strong mayor” system. In a strong mayor system, like in the City of Richmond, the mayor holds a lot of power. They carry out policies passed by the City Council and handle local government administration. 

But most towns in Virginia have a “weak mayor” system, where the mayor has a mostly ceremonial position and presides over Town Council meetings. Towns with weak mayors often hire town managers to handle day-to-day administration.  

The Town of Farmville, in Prince Edward County, has a weak mayor system. The mayor and seven councilors are elected to four-year terms. There is one council member for each of the town’s five wards, plus two at-large members. Farmville also has a town manager.

According to the Town of Farmville’s charter, Farmville’s mayor cannot vote unless the rest of the council is in a tie, a rare occurrence with an odd-numbered council. The mayor does have power to veto, but that can be overridden if two-thirds of the council vote against it. 

In this year’s mayoral race, Christian Fox is challenging incumbent Brian Vincent.

Charlottesville Tomorrow designed a questionnaire for the candidates based on responses we received from our voter survey. Only Vincent responded. You can read his answers below.

Housing

Like many central Virginian communities, some Farmville residents struggle to find and pay for housing. What’s your view on Farmville’s housing needs, and what would you push for to address them?

Brian Vincent: Farmville has the land, but it isn’t building fast or affordable enough. The Town can’t fix interest rates, but it can fix its own zoning. I’ll push Council to update our zoning and subdivision ordinances. That means right-sizing the lot and street standards that make small infill lots impractical. It means allowing duplexes, townhomes and accessory dwellings by right where they fit, easing parking minimums and welcoming mixed-use housing near Longwood and downtown. Our Comprehensive Plan already calls for infill and moderate density,* so this puts our own plan to work. More homes, in more types and at more price points, is how teachers, nurses, young families, and retirees find a place to live here.

*Editor’s note: A comprehensive plan is a document used by local government bodies to guide long-term development, land use and growth, and must be reviewed at least once every five years according to Virginia law. The Farmville Town Council adopted an amended comprehensive plan in August 2026. 

Healthcare access

Farmville’s own hospital, Centra Southside Community Hospital, closed its labor and delivery unit this past winter — part of a broader pattern of more rural communities losing access to health care. Is there anything you can see the town government doing to help address this, even in a small way?

Vincent: Losing labor and delivery at Centra Southside means expectant mothers now travel farther at the most critical moment, or are forced to give birth in the ER.* The Town doesn’t run the hospital, but it isn’t powerless. We should work with our state and federal delegation and the Virginia Municipal League (VML) to pursue every available option, including rural hospital payment reform and maternity care funding. We should coordinate with emergency responders and our regional dispatch center so obstetric emergencies get a fast, practiced response. Housing and quality of life help attract nurses and physicians, which ties directly to our housing work. Rural health care is eroding quietly across America due in part to funding and reimbursement mechanisms we can’t control.** But we can address workforce housing and advocate for rural healthcare.

Data centers

What is your stance on data centers in the town? What information would you want to have before deciding how Farmville should approach data center development?

Vincent: I don’t think you have accurate info here. Our Council has made no such move.* Let’s talk about water though. Our treatment plant has capacity, but the Town has never agreed to supply the proposed Heartland Innovative Technology (HIT) Park project in Prince Edward County.** We have just said we have capacity. Any commitment like that would require public hearings and a Town Council vote. The data center site is outside of town limits.*** I’ll wait for the county process to play out. I have hesitations and am not convinced that a data center is right for our community. But I reserve the right to continue collecting info, and talking to our citizens about how they feel and letting my judgement ring out at the moment when it is called upon.

Water Supply

Farmville relies on the Appomattox River for its water supply. This summer, as the river dropped to unusually low levels during a regional drought, the town asked residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve water. Scientists predict that droughts like the one experienced this summer will increase in frequency and severity in the coming years. How should the town prepare to protect its water supply?

Vincent: One of the main ways is to address the data center requirements. Will the proposed data center have a closed loop system? What are the protections for the town to ensure our citizens come first? These are parameters yet to be fully discussed. But you can be sure I’ll keep in mind the changing climate and what it portends for our future.

Are there any other pressing issues facing the Town of Farmville that you would like voters to know about?

Vincent: Partisan rancor is creeping into local politics and it risks derailing small town governance. Town government is about water lines, fire trucks, budgets and housing. None of that is Republican or Democrat. When national party fights get imported into town races, residents get division instead of results. As Virginia’s first Forward Party-affiliated elected official,* I’ve worked with everyone and I’ll keep doing it. I believe self-government starts with self-governance. We need pragmatic leaders who are solutions based, not performative actors. For years, water and sewer revenue propped up our general fund while our pipes aged. The last two budgets ended that practice,** and our first asset management plan now maps every town pipe in a geographic information system (GIS) so we can fix problems before they fail.*** Farmville earned its first-ever credit ratings in 2025.**** That came from steady, cooperative governance, grounded in honest work. Steady hands at the till are how a small town gets things done.