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.

Orange Town, in Orange County, has five council members, including a mayor, elected to four-year terms. There are two open seats on council, and four certified candidates running for them: Delmer G. Seal, Jr., J.L. “Jeff” Crane, James Harrison Cluff and Rita K. Carroll. They would all be new to the roles.

Charlottesville Tomorrow designed a questionnaire for the candidates based on some 200 responses we received to a voter survey. All four candidates responded to the questionnaire. Their responses are here in the order they were received.

Can you start by telling us why you want to be an Orange Town Council member?

Rita Carroll: I am running for Town Council to serve the public. In a town of a little over 5,000 people, I feel that the entire population is not represented from the planning process to decision making. There is a small percentage of voices being heard, and in the last local election approximately 1,700 people voted. I plan on gaining public faith, by listening and acting upon the townspeople’s direction.

J.L. “Jeff” Crane: I want to be elected to the Orange Town Council to allow me to give back to the community where I grew up, was educated in, played sports, participated in Church, Scouts, and other community activities. I would like to be a Council member to get a chance to make the Town even better than it currently is. I feel there is room for improvement in several areas and I have some pretty neat ideas to help do this. Number one on the list is to attract a second grocery store to Orange to allow for more choice and competition when spending your hard earned dollars for food and necessities. I would contact other Towns across Virginia similar to Orange that have two or more Grocery stores to find out what they did to attract their different stores. I also feel that Orange is in dire need of new life when it comes to shopping for other items of need such as clothes. Lastly, new areas of recreational activities for our youth and adults could be improved upon. 

James Harrison Cluff: I am a native son whose roots here are very deep as I come from a family with a multi-century connection to this town and county. I often feel like it is my responsibility to give back and serve this community that has nurtured and blessed our family so much throughout the years. I have already served this community since 1983 as a member of the Orange Volunteer Fire Company, and still do so actively,  yet I feel a deeper calling to service in my hometown. For these and many other reasons, I am running for a seat on the council.

Delmer G. Seal, Jr.: I have been blessed to live in Orange my whole life. My wife and I have raised two children who also live with their families in Orange. Orange has given me so much, and it’s time that I give something back. I want to ensure that everyone has a voice in shaping our town’s future and to promote initiatives that improve quality of life, sustainability, and inclusivity. Being part of the council would allow me to advocate for positive changes and work collaboratively with fellow members and residents to make Orange a better place for everyone.

Tell us a bit about the role of the Town Council and its main responsibilities.

Carroll: Executive authority rests solely with the Town Manager, Greg Woods. The Town Council’s role is legislative. Council has authority to establish town government policy, set tax rates, approve the annual budget, appoint members to the town’s boards, provide policy guidance for the Town Manager and act on local resolutions and ordinances and approve the comprehensive plan. Council elects from its membership a mayor, who serves as the official head of the town and leads council meetings, and a vice-mayor, for one-year terms at its meeting each January.

Crane: The Town Council is a very important body that oversees the daily needs and wellbeing of the community in areas such as water, sewer, police, maintenance of streets, trash collection, snow removal, mowing etc. The council is responsible for hiring a Town Manager, Police Chief, Community Development Director and others. Enforcement of Town ordinances and laws. They approve a comprehensive plan for the future of the Town. They oversee growth, new development and most importantly a yearly budget. State and Federal grants are another important source of revenue to help with the yearly cost of the overall operation of the Town, so seeking new grants is a top priority.

Cluff: Town Council is primarily legislative in its responsibilities. It establishes town government policy, sets tax rates, approves the annual budget, appoints members to the town’s boards, provides policy guidance for the town manager, and acts on local ordinances. Council also elects the mayor and vice-mayor each January.

Seal: Town Council is responsible for making decisions that affect the town and community. Some of the responsibilities include creating and enacting local laws and ordinances to address citizens’ issues and approving the town budget which allocates funds for public services, infrastructure, and community programs. Other responsibilities are overseeing land use and development to ensure it aligns with the town’s vision and comprehensive plan and ensuring the delivery of essential services such as public safety, sanitation, and parks.

What is the budget situation for the Town of Orange? Do you have ideas for how to improve the situation?

Carroll: Due to excellent management of our current financial position by the Town Manager, we have moved out of debt and into profitability. The town has also recently hired Anthony Schienschang as our business development manager. One of Anthony’s roles, in this new position, is to apply and manage new grants. I would look forward to working with both to collaborate on grants and other ways to promote our town and increase our economic development initiatives.

Crane: My research shows that the Town of Orange is in pretty good shape as far as the budget is concerned, which is great! I feel it is important to continue to seek out new grant money each budget cycle to help offset the yearly cost of operating the Town. It is of upmost importance to continue in a most beneficial and efficient manner and to serve all of the citizens of the Town of Orange with the best service possible.

Cluff: The budget and financial condition in the Town of Orange are in great shape due to the work of the current town staff, town council, and previous town councils. The best thing to do for the current situation is to maintain the work done previously and be a good fiscal steward of the citizen’s money.

Seal: The Town is in a great position with its budget. The Town Manager, Finance Director, and council members have put the town in a position that we have the funds to handle most any situation that may arise within reason. I would explore grants to offset the Town’s costs and conduct audits to see if we can improve or find better solutions to any financial issue that arises.

What is your position on local tax rates? Should the town work to keep them low, or does it need additional revenue to provide necessary services?

Carroll: Our citizens are not in a position to be able to afford a tax hike. I would work to keep them low by attracting new businesses and working with the business development manager, the town manager, and his staff to secure new grants and grow our economy.

Crane: I am in favor of keeping the taxes as low as possible and still operate and provide all the necessary services at a minimum cost to our citizens. I feel the meals tax is the highest in the area and this could be lowered to provide some relief for our citizens. New businesses and another grocery store would more than offset the loss of revenue from lowering the meals tax to be in line with neighboring towns.

Cluff: Tax rates in the town have been raised minimally recently and are relatively low comparatively speaking. The town meals tax is a bit high and I would be in favor of lowering it if the corresponding amount of revenue could be replaced prior to lowering the rate.

Seal: I believe the town should strive to keep tax rates as low as possible while ensuring that we have the resources needed to provide quality services. We need to find new revenue sources, such as attracting new businesses and encouraging local development, which can take pressure off the taxes that the citizens pay. It’s easy to say we need to lower taxes, but something must replace the shortfall if taxes are lowered.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Orange County has seen slight job growth over the last decade. Is there anything you, as a town councilor, would do to build on that growth?

Carroll: Orange County had a boost during and right after COVID. The current estimates show a continued growth but not quite as much. By capitalizing on the migration away from the metropolitan areas, promoting our fabulous quality of life and working with Tony, I feel we can maintain a healthy increase in this trend. Also, see my response above to the budget/economy question.

Crane: Orange “County” job growth is directly related to the Board of Supervisors and Orange “Town” job growth is related to the Town of Orange which is located within Orange County. They are both intertwined when it comes down to attracting businesses that provide jobs for its residents. I believe the Town and County needs to build a partnership to market our beautiful Town and County to bring in new businesses to boost our economy and provide good paying jobs for our citizens. High speed internet, water and sewer is available in the Town of Orange which is a big plus for the Town.

Bluff: If the town continues to maintain its current level of fiscal responsibility, then rates will stay lower as they have recently.

Seal: If elected to the council, I would work with local businesses to understand their needs and provide support such as grants or tax incentives and/or to encourage expansion and retention. I would also work toward making the town more attractive for businesses and potential employees.

Are there any other pressing issues facing your town that you’d like voters to know about?

Carroll: We need to start enforcing our rules and ordinances, such as but not limited to, things like littering, especially in parks and on our roadways, and follow certain levels of property maintenance. I have spent close to 40 years working with the government and following the rules is big in my agenda. For instance, to be on town council, one of the first things is that your primary residence needs to be in the town.

Crane: The Town overall financially is in good shape, moderate growth will happen over time. Affordable housing is always an issue. The Town just replaced its 100 year old water tower. I believe the biggest issue is having more activities available for our youth and getting that second grocery store going.

Bluff: As a town councilor, I will work to see that a sensible and steady growth rate is achieved while maintaining Orange’s small town character. I think a major factor in that area will be the addition of more broadband options within the town allowing us to market to high tech businesses and entrepreneurs to expand that area of job growth within the town.

Seal: There’s a growing need for affordable housing in the town, so we can ensure that all residents can find a place to live within the community. 

More about the Orange Town Council candidates

Here are key dates and deadlines associated with this year’s election.

March 5Super Tuesday! Both Republicans and Democrats are holding primaries. You do not have to be a member of a political party to vote in that party’s primary election, however you can only vote in one of the primaries. Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May 3Early voting begins for all other primary elections.
May 28Deadline to register to vote, or update an existing registration for Congressional and local primaries.
June 7 @ 5 p.m.Deadline to request your primary ballot be mailed to you for absentee voting or to vote by mail.
June 18Primary Election Day for Congressional, state and local races.
Sept. 20Early voting begins for November general election.
Nov. 5Election Day!

We will update this list periodically as deadlines approach or we receive new information.

Register to vote, check your registration, find your polling places and apply to vote absentee at the Virginia Department of Elections here. Remember, even if you miss registration deadlines, you can register through Election Day and vote using a provisional ballot.

Need to know if you’re eligible to vote? Here are resources from the Virginia Department of Elections.

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