Mineral voters in November 2025 will participate in a special election to fill the Town Mayor’s seat, the lead role in Municipal leadership who presides over Town Council meetings, represents Mineral in regional and ceremonial capacities, and helps guide local policy and direction. The individual elected will serve through December 31, 2026, completing the term of the previously appointed interim mayor, Ronald W. Chapman, Jr., who has been serving in the role since the vacancy arose. This election matters because the mayor provides essential leadership and stability for Mineral, ensuring that residents continue to have a voice in local governance during this transitional period.
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My first priority as Mayor of Mineral will be to promote and run well planned, open, transparent, respectable and productive monthly Council meetings. Now is the time for monumental change in Town Council where all public meetings are conducted with dignity and courtesy by and between all Council members and the public. Council members and the Mayor need to follow the adopted By Laws and Rules of Order with leadership and direction from the Mayor. The current negative public image of our Town of Mineral created by frequent conflict, insults and rudeness must stop for our town to grow and mature into a desirable location for residents to move to and for businesses to invest in and locate within the town. Over the next year, I want the Town, through its Council, led by its Mayor to commit to significantly focusing on implementing its 2024 adopted Comprehensive Plan Update, particularly by seeking new businesses to locate and fill in the open Commercially zoned spaces. These are located primarily along Mineral Avenue beginning at the Town limits on Davis Avenue to the traffic light. Then on Louisa Avenue from the Town limits on South US 522 to the Fire Department at First Street and continuing along First Street across the railroad tracks crossing to its connection with Mineral Avenue at the traffic light. Finally, continuing South on Mineral Avenue, US 522, to the South town limits. Making our town's streets, sidewalks, buildings and parks more beautiful, attractive and safe while highlighting many of our historical buildings and locations, developing walking paths and trails in Town in addition to directly partnering with our nearby Louisa County Public School Educational Complex would help us identify businesses to seek out for new or existing vacant building locations in the Town of Mineral.
As stated in question 1, all members of the Town Council must read, understand and commit to conform and abide by the Town Council's adopted Bylaws and Rules of Order. These are the principles and procedures by which the organization must conduct its public meetings and its community outreach. Business friendly professional, dignified, constructive discussions in a positive manner. Mutual respect is to be demonstrated and shown by all members and to all members of Council, the Mayor and to the public. Disrespect, insults or hostility should not be tolerated at Council meetings or while on Town or public property.
I encourage a Mayor/Council Saturday or off hour Team Building Session be scheduled within 60 days following the election results determination. It should be facilitated with the assistance of VML or TJPDC with their resources to address and resolve standing conflicts existing with Council/Town Manager/Staff relations communications, interactions, support and cooperation.
Further, the Town Mayor and Council need to commit to communicating with the public as to what and when rezonings and conditional use permits have been requested by placing a sign in advance on the requested property or location advising the public where and when there will be public hearings conducted to consider action on on them, In addition, when requests come into the Town to close or open new or existing town streetdly usability and its up to date maintenance status needs to be addressed immediately and improved. I further commit to developing, producing and distributing a local Town of Mineral residents newsletter at my personally expense to share information of significant actions taken, under future consideration, planned future events in Town and any vacancies on staff or volunteer committees that town residents are encou
The Mayor of Mineral is the face of the town and should be actively involved with regular communication with current businesses to encourage and promote their continued or improved success. Also, the Mayor should be actively communicating with the TJPDC Regional Planning Office to share information with them on the interests of the Town of Mineral. How it can direct us too and help us with grant applications related to water and sewer improvements, historical preservation and improvements to current and future buildings, streets and sidewalk enhancements particularly within the Historic Overlay District, powerline and poles removal and placement underground where and when possible and trails and signage on buildings and locations around town to enhance tourists stopping and visiting in town. And economic development must be a primary initiative for Mineral. The Town population has shrunk and business have left to such a point as to the questions being raised as to whether the Town can afford to continue to exist. So, we as a Town must and should work closer with the Louisa County Board of Supervisors and its Economic Development Department, the TJPDC, with the Town of Louisa, with the Louisa County Public Schools and with the VDOT regional office administrator. The Town in my opinion needs more shops, retail businesses, office supply stores, a selection of restaurants including fast food drive through style and local in-town entertainment and casual social setting establishments like a brewery, winery or cider tasting and sales entrepreneur.
As Mayor, I will diligently consult and work with the Town's Auditor, Robinson, Farmer and Cox, to complete the Town of Mineral's past and outstanding yearly audits. The last completed Mineral town audit completed and provided to the Town Council of the FY 2023 Audit, for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2022. The Town is now operating on and in its FY 2026 budget.
This raises a significant concern over the fiscal responsibility of the current and former Councils and Mayors in addressing the findings and recommendations brought out by previously presented Town Audit Reports.
If elected Mayor, I commit to work with the Town Treasurer to identify what actions are necessary and to recommend to Town Council steps to be promptly taken so the FY 2023 and the FY 2024 Audits can be expeditiously reconciled, reviewed and Council commitments made of future actions recommended so the Public Auditor can finalize the overdue past two years Town audits.
During the MPC's August meeting, a discussion was held to develop and create a first time ever Capital Improvements Plan for Mineral. With the help of the Town Manager and Town Treasurer, a list of proposed Capital Projects is being prepared for review and consideration of the MPC at its September monthly meeting. The plan should end up providing recommendations for the MTC to be able to review and approve to spread any excess town revenues or other funds like grants or donations received or contemplated over a five year period of time. The types of capital projects contemplated that could be included are water and sewer projects, streets and sidewalk enhancements, parks development and improvements, possibly historic properties and buildings improvements such as the Old Train Station, the Old Jail, Old Town Hall, the old Town Cemetery off Second St and power pole removal and placement under ground. Grants applications and Joint Public Private Business Partnerships should actively be sought to fund such projects.
