Virgin: Lee Ballard, Candidate for Town Council

Why do you want to be part of the Virgin Town Council?

Virgin is where I live and also where I work, as I run both my little bookstore and the community Post Office here. The health and happiness of the town matters very much to me. It took me some time to make the decision to run for re-election to Town Council; I am well aware of the commitment of time and energy required, since I am now in my fourth year on the council. I decided that, even though I think I have accomplished some good things over the past four years, there are other changes I could help make that would really benefit the town. I also actually enjoy serving on the council.


What are the three best things about your town?

Setting. Of course, Virgin is set in a beautiful place, which not only cheers me daily, it gives it a great economic advantage. In turn, the fact that tourism is an option for Virgin's economic health gives us another advantage: that all property owners have a greater-than-average interest in making sure the town's beauty is not compromised.

Character. Virgin has a character unique among the "upriver" towns. We don't have the commerce, nor the polish, of Springdale. Instead we have an authentic feel which, for me, adds to Virgin's charm. We don't have the cool, quiet agricultural feel of Rockville, nor its old-time neighborhood atmosphere. Instead, we have the elements to build just the kind of main street that the people here want.

People. Finally (third, but not least), the people of Virgin are civil, fair, and real. I'm grateful for my fellow volunteers on the council and planning commission. The mayor and four assorted members of the board each have strengths that complement the rest, and I'll venture to say we've all learned over the last few years to rely on those strengths. Our discussions have become more and more effective, and I have confidence that our process is ethical and fair. Also, other town officials, staff, volunteers, and residents have amazing talents, and do great things for us while we aren't looking.


Please state your top two priorities if elected to the Town Council; why are they important and what will you do about them?

We have got to update our general plan, particularly the portion dealing with capital facilities. I will continue to push for this. A current capital facilities plan has to be in place in order for the town to take advantage of various funding opportunities (for instance, if we specifically detailed the restoration of the old church at the town square as an ongoing capital project in our plan, we would be eligible for more grants to continue work the building), and documented plans allow us to ensure new development happens according to plan, in an orderly, financially feasible fashion.

Many people in Virgin don't want to promote any kind of commercial growth. I'm sympathetic; in fact, I admit I wish it were possible to keep things as they are, but I don't think this is a workable stance. I am afraid if we are caught snoozing in this department, a future administration may, by absolute economic necessity, approve development of uses, or in locations, that are contrary to the desires most of us have for Virgin. If we can see our way to adopt policies that actively encourage precisely the kinds of small businesses most of us would welcome, we may avoid being forced later on to face an unsightly sprawl of those we would not.


What’s your opinion about the Lake Powell Pipeline project?

The way things stand at the moment, I am not a big fan of this project. I am not convinced that we want to grow as large as proposals suggest. I am not convinced Lake Powell is a reliable source. I know that there is a whole lot of room for improvement in our usage levels, and that we can grow to a fairly dense population simply by developing our local sources. And in the current economic climate I am certainly not convinced that the growth that is proposed to pay for the project would come in time to prevent current residents from ending up with the bill.


What, if any, Vision Dixie Priorities would you support and encourage? How? 


I was involved in the Vision Dixie project as a resident, a facilitator, and member of the technical committee, so I got to observe the process pretty closely. What I saw gave me confidence in the final result; the principles derived from the chip games really do reflect the wishes of the region's residents. The first principle, which is “plan regionally, implement locally” is key; the best way to accomplish the other principles will vary wildly between the cities and towns of Washington County. For example, our new policy to allow the owners of building lots located within reach of existing infrastructure to reserve water hookups for future dwellings is a small move to "direct growth inward" specifically applicable for our town, which has a limited number of hookups and a great deal of outlying vacant land. Some of the principles are more appropriately implemented on a regional basis; “reserving key areas for industry” is essential in the county, but may be less relevant in a town of our size, and in our special location. However, we have taken actions or adopted improvements in Virgin's codes and policies, both before and after the principles were released, that align with each and every one of the other goals in some fashion, and I want us to continue to do so.

Do you like/support voting by mail in your town?

I supported the county's decision to let us try this method for this election. If it works as well here as it has in so many other places, I will certainly support continuing the policy, as it is less expensive for taxpayers and more convenient for voters. I am very happy to hear about the great success of Springdale's mail-in vote for their recent primary election, as Springdale staff has generously offered to help Virgin through its first attempt.


Why should a person vote for you?

I take my commitment as a council member seriously. I try to find solutions to everyday town problems, to ease regulations for uses the Town wants to encourage, to adopt policies to protect the expectations of existing owners, to get rid of vague or confusing restrictions common to many towns, sometimes due to the use of "boilerplate" ordinances, to correct conflicts in town documents, to encourage opposing interests to work together on controversial issues, and to be a helpful resource for town staff and for citizens. I push myself to examine all sides of a sticky question, because I dread regretting my vote on any agenda item (and, yes, I'm afraid this sometimes makes meetings longer). I participate in trainings, seminars, projects and groups around the region and keep an eye out for opportunities Virgin may otherwise miss, or actions taken by other entities that may have an impact on our town. I have learned a lot about applicable laws, planning techniques, regional opportunities, and our own town documents. Because I talk to residents every day, mentally comparing what I hear to the results of the public opinion survey I worked on as I ran in the previous election, I have a pretty good idea of the range of concerns our residents have. I think my convictions about what is generally best for Virgin are similar to those of most people here, and that encourages me to keep working.


What is the best way for people to learn more about you?

I almost could not be more available, since I run the local post office and my bookstore next door. I am there five or six days a week. I also read my email: virgingoods@peoplepc.com.