Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080034
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
The controversial treasurer won re-election while three of four incumbent supervisors lost.
Cook's relations with the board over the past four years have been marred by constant sparring over financial record-keeping.
But voters, who were dissatisfied with increasing debt and contentiousness among county officials, endorsed Cook's feisty populism.
His closest of five challengers was Bendy Shrader, a former employee whom Cook had accused of subterfuge. The vote was close in other parts of the county, but Cook racked up big majorities in his home Western District.
Cook said he was stunned to see a list of delinquent taxpayers published in the local weekly newspaper last week by the Board of Supervisors.
Some of the taxpayers owed less than a dollar, and Cook accused the board of publishing the list as a negative campaign ploy.
In their own race, the incumbent supervisors faced challengers who made political hay over financial growing pains such as a new Public Service Authority, an unpopular annexation agreement involving Pearisburg and costly improvements to county social service buildings and county offices.
Only Eastern District Supervisor Larry Williams survived a wave of voter dissatisfaction.
Joining him will be Central District Supervisor Barbara Hobbs, a former county administrator who will be the first woman to serve on the county board.
Also elected were William Freeman and Robert Williams as at-large supervisors, and Larry Blankenship as Western District supervisor.
Williams and Freeman soundly defeated incumbents Bobby Compton and George Hedrick. Blakenship overwhelmed incumbent Herbert Brown.
Hobbs replaces supervisor Ted Timberlake, who retired because of ill health.
Commonwealth's Attorney James Hartley was defeated by challenger Garland Spangler. Larry Falls won a third term as sheriff by easily defeating Keith Hale.
Voters did express satisfaction with schools by returning all incumbents in the county's first School Board election: J.B. Buckland, Ronald Whitehead, Phillip Morris, Joe Gollehon and J. Lewis Webb.
Anne Chambers was elected Commissioner of Revenue over Mark Butts. She will replace Shirley L. Wheeler, who is retiring.
Giles County's Eastern District precincts, which traditionally vote Democratic, gave Del. Jim Shuler a comfortable victory over his Republican challenger, Larry Linkous.
Keywords:
ELECTION
by CNB