The Staunton Visioning Coalition, which formed in November, is aiming to have an impact on the fall city council and school board elections in the Queen City.
“Our hope, and what we’re working on now is that we have leadership in Staunton who listen to the people who live there,” said steering committee member Cindy Connors.
Connors has lived in Staunton for four years and is one of seven members of the coalition’s steering committee. The coalition’s email list contains 180 members.
For November’s election, the coalition supports Brad Arrowood, Alice Woods and Michele Edwards for city council, and Stephanie Mason, Kristin Siegel and Fontella Brown-Bundy for the school board.
“We’re nonpartisan. We’re not affiliated with any [political] parties,” Connors said of the coalition.
Connors said the coalition seeks diversity, sustainability and good governance in Staunton government. The coalition held in-person, Zoom and hybrid events to gather information from residents about what they want in their leadership.
“And, from that, we developed our core values,” Connors said.
The coalition supports fully funding Staunton City Schools, the city’s new Diversity and Equity Coalition, small businesses, and members of city council and school board listening to the concerns of city residents.
After November’s election, Connors said the coalition will continue to support candidates who were elected and advocate for its core values.
“We will still be active,” she said.
Otherwise, the coalition’s goal will continue to be supporting candidates who have the best interests of Staunton in mind, in this election and future elections.
“It was just a group of people who wanted to make sure qualified candidates were running for Staunton City Council,” said current city council member Brenda Meade.
Meade’s seat on council is up for election in November. She is not seeking reelection.
Meade said the members of the coalition were concerned about the direction of city council and wanted to work to build a group of candidates to run for the three open seats.
Members of the coalition are residents “who were committed to the city,” Meade said, and wanted the “future to be bright” in Staunton.
She said the coalition did not intend to decide who ran for council in November’s election.
“I guess they consider themselves to be left of center. They consider themselves to be progressive,” Meade said of the group’s political stance.
The coalition contacted candidates for council and Staunton City School Board through local arts and nonprofit groups.
“Never held in secret. Always open to everyone,” Meade said of the coalition.
The coalition will be at Siegel’s kick-off campaign event Saturday, and subsequent kick-off events into the fall.
Staunton residents are encouraged to email the coalition with concerns and ideas at [email protected].
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Rebecca Barnabi
