In Virginia, town councils are elected leaders charged with overseeing a local town government. They have the power to set tax rates, make zoning decisions, oversee local emergency services, and much more.

The Town of Farmville, which is in Prince Edward County, is divided into 5 wards. One town council member is elected from each ward, and two are elected at-large. The town council and mayor serve four-year terms. 

This year, three wards and one at-large position is up for election. Incumbent John F. Hardy is running to represent Ward A. He was first elected to the seat in 2022.

Charlottesville Tomorrow designed a questionnaire for Hardy based on responses we received from our voter survey. When reached over the phone, Hardy said he was not interested in responding, since he was running unopposed. 

Here are the questions we sent Hardy. If you would like to reach out to him yourself, you can find candidate contact information, as provided to the Virginia State Department of Elections, searchable by name.

• 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?

• 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?

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

• 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?

More information on the candidate and issues: 

• John Hardy’s biography on Farmville Town Council’s website

• Hardy listed financial responsibility, opposing new taxes and listening to the public as some of his priorities as councilor, in this article on his bid for re-election from the Farmville Herald, May 31, 2026 (subscription required)

• Farmville Town Council approved a resolution censuring Hardy for “attempts to ‘undermine’ town relationships,” from the Farmville Herald on Feb. 26, 2026 (subscription required)

• Candidate Q&A from 2022 Town Council race, with John Hardy and opponent Shaunna Hunter-McKinney, from the Farmville Herald, Oct. 14, 2022 (subscription required)

• Centra South Side Community Hospital cited ‘reductions in federal health care funding’ among the reasons for closing its labor and delivery unit, from Virginia Mercury, Nov. 7, 2025

• Centra Southside Community Hospital closing labor and delivery unit in December, from Charlottesville Tomorrow, Nov. 12, 2025

• More on the closure of Centra’s labor and delivery unit, from Cardinal News, Nov. 25, 2025

• In the wake of Centra’s Farmville maternity care closure, some families say the risk to have more kids might be too high, from Charlottesville Tomorrow, April 10, 2026

• EMTs in rural communities face increased challenges after labor and delivery unit closure in Farmville, from Charlottesville Tomorrow, April 27, 2026 

• Rural Virginia communities face real and lingering consequences from labor and delivery unit closures, from Charlottesville Tomorrow, Aug. 25, 2026 

• After closing its labor and delivery unit last winter, Centra Southside Community Hospital closed its outpatient neurology unit this September due to staffing strains, from ABC 13 News, Sept. 15, 2026