Where the Midlothian candidates stand

Don Sowder Age: 69 Career: Pharmaceutical industry consultant Education: Bachelor of Science degree in food science from Virginia Tech; graduate work at University of Virginia Background: Now retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a colonel after 33 years; member of U.S. Senator George Allen's Veterans Advisory Committee; member of the Virginia United Methodist Homes board of directors Family: Married with three grown children

On Nov. 7, Midlothian District voters will decide who will represent them on the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors-Democrat Dan Gecker or Republican Don Sowder.

The winner will serve a one-year term, filling out the remainder of former Supervisor Ed Barber's term until next November when all five supervisor seats come up for a vote.

Barber resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery against his teenage stepdaughter. Independent Terri Beirne is currently serving as interim supervisor for the Midlothian District.

To help voters make an informed decision at the polls next week, the Chesterfield Observer recently interviewed both Gecker and Sowder and asked the candidates about some of the top issues facing the Midlothian District and Chesterfield County. Both candidates were interviewed separately without prior knowledge of the questions. Their responses were edited for this report.

Q: Countywide since January 2004, has the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved too many residential rezonings?

Dan Gecker Age: 50 Career: Real estate and tax law attorney with Urban Development Associates Education: Received Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Princeton University; law degree from the College of William and Mary Background: Midlothian planning commissioner since 2000; Capital Region Airport Commission since 2004; past member of the Chesterfield Committee on the Future; active in county sports leagues Family: Married with four children

A: Gecker: "Yes. The board has passed cases with a promise of neo-traditional, mixed use [commercial and office with residential development], but nothing requires it. [For example,] the Reed's Landing case [in southern Chesterfield] had lots of pretty pictures, but didn't require anything more than residential. Some rezoning cases weren't in the right spot [in the county]. You shouldn't have to use a gallon of gas to get a gallon of milk."

Sowder: "The mix is out of kilter. The long-term solution is a better mix [of residential and commercial]. I can't say too many residential rezonings were approved, because there may have not been many options for commercial...but we're headed in the wrong direction [with the amount of residential rezonings]."

Q: Since January 2004, have there been rezonings in Midlothian District that were approved, but in your opinion, shouldn't have been? If so, which ones?

A: Gecker: "I don't recall all the rezonings I voted against [while serving on the planning commission]. In the Sunrise Seniors [case] at Cranbeck and Robious [roads], which was approved by the board contrary to the comprehensive plan, it should have been delayed until the plan was updated. The board hurried the Watkins Centre case and missed the mark on several key areas."

Sowder: "I'm not aware of all the cases, and so nothing really stands out as being inappropriate." Asked if he was "comfortable" with the rezonings in Midlothian District, he said, "Yes."

Q: Does the board have enough political will to turn down residential rezonings?

A: Gecker: "Based on its track record, no. The board hides behind the proffer policy and approves rezonings if proffers are agreed to. I disagree with that and want the county to use the tools it has to manage and control growth."

Sowder: "I can't answer for the current board."

Q: The county policy is that "growth should pay for itself." Does growth pay for itself, and if not, why do rezonings continue to be approved?

A: Gecker: "Growth plainly does not pay for itself, and we are falling further behind. It's also stretching the operational budget and may reduce the amount of money going to schools. The 68 percent of property taxes that goes to schools currently may be reduced. Zonings continue to be approved because of a lack of political will."

Sowder: "I think growth pays for itself using CDAs [Community Development Authorities] where the infrastructure is built up front. CDAs are new in Chesterfield County and hold great promise [including] controlling and managing growth."

Q: Will the Watkins Centre lead to the decline of Chesterfield Towne Center?

A: Gecker: "It's likely that the retail development at the Watkins Centre will adversely impact the commercial core centered around retail development at Chesterfield Towne Center. The Doran case [in Midlothian] that was approved previously now wants to convert a substantial amount of retail to residential because it can't compete with the Watkins Centre."

Sowder: "It shouldn't. We have the highest household income right here in Midlothian of any area in the region. Business follows the money. There's no reason the mall should decline if it takes advantage of what it has to offer, and only the mall can use its advantages in its marketing. My wife wants to shop indoors on a rainy or wintery day, and the mall needs to market that. There's enough money here to support both of them. And the emphasis at the Watkins Centre is on offices for corporate headquarters."

Q: Should the county government have purchased Cloverleaf Mall?

A: Gecker: "We should have purchased the mall. We should also be more serious about its redevelopment-doing a rendering of the mixed use site, for example. We spent money to acquire it, but because of a lack of commitment, it hasn't moved forward."

Sowder: "The county made the right choice by purchasing the mall since it was declining. [Because of the] intervention, Cloverleaf has great potential for offices, not retail. The opportunity for redevelopment at Cloverleaf will benefit the entire county."

Q: Specifically, what can be done to attract more business office parks to Chesterfield County?

A: Gecker: "We should use infrastructure to set up our three major sites. We're not spending money to connect I-295 to Meadowville. We have done nothing to bring sewer up from the south to service the office component of the Watkins Centre in the southwest quadrant for office/light industrial. We need to create sites that are ready for office development."

Sowder: "We need to market what we've got here [including] the best schools in the region. Some experts put us in the top 100 in the country. Businesses and people move to where there is a good quality of life, good facilities and reasonable taxes. We need to step up our marketing efforts and sell what we've got."

Q: Is the Chesterfield County government open to criticism from its citizens? Can the current system be improved?

A: Gecker: "We're not open to criticism. The county is too concerned with its public image and not enough about our citizens' viewpoints. There are small meetings held that should be public, and the debate should play out in public view instead of being coordinated before the votes are taken."

Sowder: "The county certainly gets criticism, and Chesterfield is open to criticism. We need to put more emphasis on public meetings, so the citizens are current with all levels of their government-school board, planning commission and board of supervisors. Public meetings get information out to our citizens."

Q: Chesterfield police say crime is moving in from Richmond, heading westward on Midlothian Turnpike. Since there are a number of police officer vacancies in Chesterfield, probably caused in part by a starting salary of $36,000, what can be done?

A: Gecker: "Chesterfield is dedicating most of its capital resources to the western part of the county. That's why the new middle school should have come east. For the police, we need more precincts and should make working in Chesterfield more attractive [with] affordable housing and a better wage and benefits package to be competitive."

Sowder: "A primary responsibility of any government is the protection of its citizens. The crime rate is increasing, and we've got to keep our police department up to date and funded appropriately. The current budget added $4 million to the police department, which is more than it requested. I support that. We need to invest in preventive measures [like] athletic programs, [and] pay attention to graffiti and blighted neighborhoods. I like the YMCA programs that the police chief is conducting with teenagers. More businesses need to request the police to set up a security plan for them."

- Greg Pearson