WYDaily asked candidates on the ballot for James City County’s Jamestown District special election to respond to a few questions so readers can get a feeling for where they stand on issues. Here we interview Powhatan Supervisor and Jamestown District candidate Jim Icenhour.
Can you quickly share your age, family, and professional background?
My age is 67. My wife Linda and I have been married for 44 years. We have two grown daughters – Cheryl Garner is an Air Force Lt. Col. currently stationed at Langley AFB, and Cynthia Icenhour is a school teacher in Newport News. I was an Air Force officer (fighter pilot) from 1967 to 1987 and an airline pilot for Pan Am and Delta from 1987 to 2005. I was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 2005, and I am currently serving my second term on the Board.
What do you think are the county’s strongest methods/tools for controlling growth in the county? If there are any growth tools that you would like to see created in the near future, please discuss. Are you concerned about growth, or do you feel it is proceeding at a sustainable pace? Please explain your answer.
In the two decades before the recent recession James City County was growing at 3 to 4 times the national average – a growth rate that was clearly unsustainable. For the past few years our growth rate has slowed to about twice the national average – which is about the maximum that we can sustain for the long term. Our primary tool for growth control is the Comprehensive Plan – specifically the delineation of the Primary Service Area where we want growth to occur. The one tool that we have not used effectively is the Board’s ability to say no to bad projects. Unfortunately we have a long term record of approving over 95% of whatever developers propose.
Before Supervisor Wilford Kale was appointed this year, the Board had trouble coming to an agreement on several issues. Do you think the Board is too divisive? Explain why or why not. If so, what will you do to help solve the problem?
Regardless of what Board members may think, it is obvious that the public sees us as unnecessarily divisive. In early 2012 I proposed that the Board compromise by splitting the chairmanship for the year, but my proposal was summarily rejected. When Mr. Kale joined the Board he made a similar proposal that gave Ms. Jones the chairmanship for eight months of the year and let her retain some committee positions for the entire year that would normally be filled by the chairman. His proposal was passed by a 3-2 vote with the two Republican board members voting no. Compromise requires a willing partner.
What challenges do you feel the county will face in the coming years? What do you think the county should do to be equipped to face these?
The county has about 15,000 approved homes in the development pipeline. Unfortunately the approval of those homes was based on the assumption that housing values – and hence tax revenues – would continue to increase. With the recent decrease in home values, our projected tax revenues are falling far short of expectations, yet we still have an obligation to provide the necessary infrastructure. The challenge will be to balance actual revenues with acceptable services.
What issues do you feel most passionate about? Why?
If we fail to control our community’s rate of growth, we put at risk the very quality of life we so highly value.
The County Administrator noted in his most recent budget message that the worst of the economic troubles seem to have passed for the county, but said there are still hurdles left to cross in coming years. Should budget constraints continue, would you support reducing services or generating new revenue? Please explain your answer.
While the worst may have passed, it increasingly appears that recovery will be very slow. If revenues fail to keep pace with population growth and inflation, we will definitely see more cuts in non-core services. However, we must protect core services such as schools and police & fire protection even if it means generating new revenue.
What are your thoughts about the pace of commercial and retail development in the county?
Business cycles are nothing new. The residential boom of the 80s and 90s gave us an overabundance of homes compared to commercial. Beginning about 2000 the commercial boom took over – until the bust of 2007 to 2008 that gave us lots of empty store fronts. While the county can exercise some control over what it approves, those projects that are already approved are built based on market forces which we cannot control.
What are some recent accomplishments you would like to highlight during your time on the Board?
I am most satisfied when I can help solve problems that affect my constituents’ neighborhoods. For example, getting Jolly Pond Road reopened was a major milestone. The folks in The Meadows were pleased that the proposed mausoleum next to their neighborhood was withdrawn, and the folks in WindsorMeade were pleased that their concerns about New Town Section 12 were addressed prior to approval of that project.
