Budget numbers worsen

Contributors

General Assembly Report by Rob Bell One of the General Assembly’s biggest jobs in 2008 is to craft the two-year budget that will begin on July 1. This year, the economic slowdown – especially in the housing industry – has meant that revenue is $1.4 billion below projections. Although the overall budget is increasing slightly,…

Impact of Waynesboro referendum to be felt beyond Election Day

Contributors

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Yes or no – whatever Waynesboro residents end up saying about five bond issues in a nonbinding referendum on the ballot tomorrow will go a long way to determining what happens in next year’s city-council elections. “This is a good gauge for me, really, to see what the people want….

Asking big questions

David Cox

Column by David Cox Amid the ruckus over abusive driver fees, a budget shortfall, mental health care in light of the Tech murders, and other issues of the moment, larger questions get overlooked. Yet these are often the questions that underlie the issues that elections turn on.

Inside the Beverley Manor District race

Contributors

The Top Story by Chris Graham Jim Bailey announced his retirement from Augusta County politics earlier this year, leaving the Beverley Manor District seat on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors an open seat. The contenders for the seat – Democrat Lee Godfrey and Republican Jeremy Shifflett – answered questions on the issues of the…

Breaking down the 24th Senate race

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham He had to fend off perhaps the fight of his political life in June with a party-primary challenge from Rockbridge County businessman Scott Sayre. With the change of seasons from summer to fall, 24th District Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger would seem to have if not the second-biggest fight of…