Kevin Onizuk, a resident of the Monticello Woods neighborhood, will run against current Supervisor Jim Icenhour (D) for the Jamestown seat on the James City County Board of Supervisors in November.
Onizuk announced his nomination as the Republican candidate Tuesday. Last month, Icenhour announced his intention to run for re-election.
He has not previously served on the board nor has he run for election in the past. Onizuk’s decided to run after encouragement from Heather Cordasco, a current member of the Williamsburg-James City County School Board.
Onizuk said if he is elected to the board, he will put a strong focus on keeping spending under control, and on having a transparent and accountable board. Ensuring ongoing fiscal responsibility is one of his top priorities. In a release, Onizuk said the board has seemed intent on purchasing more land but does not have intent to manage, monitor or track any existing commitments.
“I love living in James City County, and I want to ensure my family and others can continue to afford to live here,” Onizuk said in a news release.
Onizuk said he has observed the current board finger-pointing and wants to fix the lack of communication among members.
“I come from the business world. In the business world we are open and honest and communicate,” said Onizuk, explaining that whether board members agree should not dictate their communication with one another.
He said even though he would be one person out of a five-member board, he hopes his spirit of open communication would inspire other board members to do the same.
As a branch manager and mortgage loan officer for WestStar Mortgage, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Toano and a congregant of St. Bede Roman Catholic Church, Onizuk has been heavily involved in the community for the seven years he has lived in James City County. He hopes to build on that network of people, through neighborhood functions and visits to homeowners, and clearly define the differences between him and Icenhour to voters to secure the Jamestown seat.
Onizuk, a veteran of the Delaware Army National Guard, has been married to his wife Heather for 15 years. They have three children, aged 13, 11 and 7.
