Matoaca District's supervisor race is tight
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

Durfee

In perhaps the most contested supervisor race, residents in the sprawling Matoaca District will choose next week among Independents Marlene Durfee and Eli Jones, Democrat Bill Hastings and Republican Mark Tubbs. Residential growth is the top issue in the mostly rural district. Numerous rezonings in recent years have burdened two-lane country roads, required adding trailers at most schools for additional classrooms and lengthened response times for police, fire and EMS vehicles.

Marleen Durfee

Durfee, a fixture at planning commission and supervisor meetings, has called for "smart growth" principles and criticized her opponents for "not being visible" during zoning cases.

She is the founder and former executive director of the Responsible Growth Alliance of Chesterfield (RGA), a citizen group that's often spoken out in favor of reducing residential growth throughout the county. However, attendance at RGA's meetings has dwindled this year.

Another citizen group focused on growth, the Chesterfield Coalition of Homeowners Association Presidents, decided to form independently because Durfee was considered "too confrontational," according to sources. She has assumed a much lower profile at county meetings in recent months.

Hastings

Durfee disagrees with the Upper Swift Creek Plan passed by the board earlier this month, calling it "appalling" and pledging to do more to protect the reservoir if elected. Durfee is endorsed by Tom Pakurar, co-chair of Hands Across the Lake, a citizen group focused on water quality in the reservoir, and current Matoaca Planning Commissioner Wayne Bass. She also received endorsements from the Chesterfield Professional Firefighters Association and the Chesterfield Education Association Political Action Committee (CEA). 

Bill Hastings

That CEA endorsement was expected to go to Hastings, a 30-year retired Chesterfield teacher, who is a CEA member. As a teacher of biology and ecology, Hastings says that qualifies him best to protect the environment. He served as a soil and water conservation director for the area from 1997-2003.

Tubbs

Hastings has also pledged to help preserve farmland and increase police salaries to stem the loss of trained Chesterfield officers.

In 2003 with little campaign funding, Hastings almost pulled an upset over incumbent Republican Renny Humphrey, losing to her by just 346 votes. Humphrey chose not to run for re-election earlier this year.

Mark Tubbs

As the dominant party in the district, Chesterfield Republicans turned to Tubbs after former Fire Chief Steve Elswick and Edgar Wallin, former director of human resources for Chesterfield County Public Schools, declined to run. Tubbs ran as an Independent in 2003 when he lived in the Clover Hill District and lost to Republican Art Warren. Over objections from some party members, he joined the county's Republican Committee three years ago.

Many local businesses have endorsed Tubbs, pointing to his extensive resume that shows 30 years of working with the state legislature. He has held management positions with electric cooperatives, the state agriculture department and road and home builders associations. Tubbs has a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Averett College.

Jones

During the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce debate on Oct. 17, Tubbs proposed cutting county spending by 5 percent and using the $50 million that would be saved to borrow $500 million to fund road improvements in the county. His opponents generally said it's the state's responsibility to pay for roads, but a number of county officials have said that the state is shifting that duty to individual localities due to lack of funding.

Tubbs' opponents have also suggested Chesterfield Republicans are responsible for the county's growth problems. Tubbs has a lengthy list of Republican endorsements.

Eli Jones

Asked at a debate what qualifies him to lead a county with a $1.2 billion budget, Jones replied, "It's not what's on my resume, but what's not on my resume. You get someone who is fresh."

Though he is running as an Independent, Jones is a member of the Constitution Party, which believes the country has strayed from the original intent of the founding fathers. During the debate, he repeatedly used the phrase "common sense" in response to questions.

At age 19, Jones is currently taking online courses to become a certified paralegal with Oak Brook College of Law following his home-school education.