Donna Comer
51, Program Manager and Workforce Coordinator with Laurel Ridge Community College and Fauquier County Economic Development Department, Amissville
Where do you stand on the courthouse project?
“At a recent joint meeting of the Building Committee and the Board of Supervisors, it became clear that citizens who are following the process have differing views on whether ‘new courthouse’ means a new structure located away from the existing courthouse, or an ‘addition’ of new space built to appear as an extension to the old building.
Many questions remain to be answered, and to date there doesn’t seem to be any agreement on them. With this in mind, I do not yet have a firm position; and I am not alone.
I can say that I see the critical issues as safety for those using the courthouse; functionality, to serve the purposes of the courthouse and those who need to be housed in it; and cost, which is difficult to anticipate in any renovation work. Also to be considered is the proper respect and use for the existing structure — almost 200 years old and widely recognized as historic; and it must comply with state requirements and take into account the expressed needs of our judges.
My stance is that I recognize it is a complicated yet pressing issue. If elected, it would be my goal and priority to seek and support the solution that considers safety first, involves key stakeholders, makes the best use of our tax dollars, and will stand the test of time.”
What is the most urgent issue facing the county now?
“My instinctive reaction is that broadband is the most urgent issue facing us now. Without good broadband, our county runs the risk of stagnating. It is critical for our students, because increasingly, learning involves online activity. Access to telehealth is important for all age groups. Working remotely is now offered to many citizens, and it is appealing for our county, where limiting buildout is an important goal, but it requires first-rate connection to the work hub — wherever that might be.
Small businesses here in Rappahannock need reliable, quick connectivity for everything from customer payments to online meeting capability and connections to suppliers and outlets. For those who argue the existence of broadband in our county will lead to unwanted development, we can and should control that through well-designed and reliably enforced zoning restrictions.
That said, funding our schools is always a challenge, as we very much need to fix the quandary the county faces because of our somewhat unique LCI and its effect on state funding we receive. Development pressure — seen most obviously by those of us in Amissville who are most exposed to Clevengers Corner —are forever on the critical list. Zoning is a critical issue in this regard, and the zoning ordinance is under review. We need to ensure that the structure stays strong.”
Is there anything in your experience or background that would help you in your role as an elected leader? What is it?
“I believe the totality of my life experience has provided me with skills that will be valuable to the Board of Supervisors.
First, I know rural. I grew up in New Kent County, where my father owned and operated a sawmill, then switched to farming when I was in middle school. Country living is beautiful, but it also has its challenges. Rappahannock County faces challenges right now — bringing broadband to the county, resisting development pressures, creating job opportunities and fulfilling that openness objective in the face of farms being left to a generation that may not want to farm.