Live from the Montgomery candidates forum: Twitter roundup

Correction: Norman Croy resigned from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. An earlier version of this post incorrectly described his departure.

• #MontCo forum is beginning now. Very full house here at the County Govt Center (will count crowd during break).
• Moderator Meghan Dorsett asks candidates at #MontCo to mind their manners, avoid personal attacks, says forum is “like a job interview.”
• Candidates are giving short introductory statements. At the front table: candidates for sheriff, treasurer, commissioner of the revenue
• Commonwealth’s Attorney Brad Finch, who is running unopposed, is here but is in the audience rather than up front
• I’m going to estimate 200 people here at #MontCo candidate forum. I may get a more exact count later from a different vantage point.
• #MontCo forum is put on by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, and forums are being video’d and replayed on WTOB.
• First Q: How deal w tight budget? Comm/Rev-hopeful Daryl Gillespie: 1 step is don’t send pre-bill and send bills earlier, save county $60K.
• Comm/Rev hopeful Helen Royal: Yes, also plan to stop pre-bill mailing, look for other measures.
• Sheriff-hopeful Norman Croy: Scrutinize budget, reduce # take-home vehicles, use more economical vehicles for civil process service
• Sheriff-hopeful George Jackson: Run sheriff’s office like biz; stay on top of costs; use community forums to see what services might be quit
• Incumbent Sheriff Tommy Whitt: I have dealt with budget for years now, cut costs for travel and training as have jurisdictions across Va
• Treasurer-hopeful Jennifer Ford, GOP: Most offices lean now. Important to keep staff. Keep tax collection rate high, look for best interest
• Incumbent Treasurer Richard Shelton, Dem: Lost a third of staff to cuts. Using new technology to make up.
• Q to Gillespie: How change operation of comm/rev office? Gillespie: Make sure assessment fair, partner w towns, county, treasurer’s office
• Same Q to Royal. Royal: Comm/rev duties largely set by state. Assessment process also largely set
• Q to sheriff candidates: How does or will yr office work w courts and commonwealth’s attny
• Croy: Experience of 29 years is that relations good w courts, prosecutors. Also make sure good relations w clerk of circuit court
• Jackson: Will have open relationship w these offices, keep eye to operating efficiently, making sure officers prepared for court.
• Whitt: I have had “outstanding relationship” w clerk of court, prosecutors, defense attorneys
• Q to treasurer candidates: Why do people have to pay fee for paying taxes online?
• Ford: County uses outside company that charges fee for service. Would like to look into setting up mechanism in-house to take online payment
• Shelton: “All banks charge fees. … That’s how they make their money.” County offers credit cards without fee.
• Excuse me. Shelton: County offers taxpayers ability to pay with credit cards without fee.
• Q to all candidates: What areas of technology do you plan to implement in office to make things more accessible online?
• Royal: Roanoke County comm/rev has system where residents can go online to change address, add/subtract car etc. Want to get this in #MontCo
• Gillespie: If elected will spend Nov. and Dec. visiting comm/rev offices across Va to study their technology and bring it back.
• Jackson: Will use social media (like Twitter, presumably — see earlier message) to communicate with residents.
• Whitt: Sheriff’s office already updated its Facebook page, online presence; residents can see calls for service, other info there.
• Croy: Important to communicate w residents’ mobile units too. Emergency alert systems, Facebook, Twitter.
• Shelton: Always looking for new tech for treasurer’s office. Says counterfeit currency detection system example of advance made
• Ford: Like to have system where residents can look up bills, etc., online, and, again, pay online.
• Rebuttal from Jackson directed to Whitt: What prompted you to use social media? Why not started earlier?
• Whitt: Had FB but didn’t update it. Had citizen complaint system– Dorsett gavels him to stop, says wanted to do that since 1999.
• Wanted to bang gavel, that is.
• Q: What requirements for your office are mandated by state? Whitt: “Any citizen can run” for sheriff, comm/rev, treasurer
• Croy: No, need certification for duties like civil process service, jail duty, law enforcement
• Whitt: “I’m thinking politics. I misunderstood the question.”
• Jackson: Sworn officers must maintain training credits (40 hours every 2 years). Treasurer, comm/rev probably have training requirement too
• Ford: Va sets some functions of treasurer’s office, not sure there’s really a training requirement
• Shelton: Treasurer must be registered voter, resident county where serve. No educational requirements. Proud of degree, biz experience
• Gillespie: Don’t know any requirements to run, but plenty of certification available once in office. Royal: Yes, only have to be reg voter
• Reminder: Gillespie and Royal are running for commissioner of the revenue.
• Q: How deal with unfair cuts from state comp board?
• Shelton: Must choose between cutting staff or raising taxes. #MontCo cut staff in past. “Whatever we’re dealt, that’s what we work with.”
• Ford: Treasurer’s office must work within budget, need to look at best interest rate for county money.
• Shelton rebuttal: Treasurer does invest county $. Proud of making $5M+ for county in interest, and collected $10M+ in delinquent taxes.
• Royal: Comm/rev must make sure assessing all vehicles in #MontCo, but not keeping vehicles on books that aren’t here any more.
• Gillespie: Anticipate state will cut comm/rev office more because tax rev down. Will stay politically active to try to make sure cuts fair.
• Croy: “I don’t see how the constitutional officers have survived the last 20 years, the way the compensation board has done.”
• Croy: Sheriff’s office staff has gone up. Would make sure all officers are working hard.
• Jackson: Need to work w other offices to make sure all county revenue collected. Need detailed review of whole budget, biz plan for future
• Whitt: Comp board can only distribute $ gets from General Assembly, which sets ratio of officers to populace.
• Rebuttal from Croy: Compensation board hiding behind ban on constitutional officers suing it for what’s due them. Whitt: I agree.
• Whitt: State funding cuts not fair to #MontCo or any Virginia locality.
• Q to comm/revs: What’s most significant issue facing office? Gillespie: Staff cuts left “bare bones” operation. Budget will be big challenge
• Royal: Yes, budget is big problem. Time spent w taxpayers and getting assessments correct will save money over long run.
• Q is actually to all candidates: What is most significant issue facing your office?
• Jackson: Residents aren’t given enough info to have understanding of challenges facing offices. Communication is key.
• Whitt: Sheriff’s office is not revenue-generating office. Finding balance of where to cut services is key.
• Croy: Sheriff’s office must keep residents secure, no matter what budget is. Most significant issue is budget, may force consolidating staff
• Croy: Need to look into “getting into drug dealers’ pocketbooks” w forfeitures.
• Whitt rebuttal: Already do this. Won’t drop meth enforcement just because no profit in it.
• Ford: With tax increase likely, challenge for treasurer’s office is collecting delinquent taxes. Should give more option for payment plan
• Muttering among audience at mention of increased taxes.
• Shelton: Proud that as treasurer, have overseen collection rates of 98%+. People have option to pay taxes in installments before delinquent
• Ford rebuttal: People never know when situation can change and won’t have means to pay taxes; should let people work out plan.
• Shelton rebuttal: “Once we start delinquent action, we don’t back away from that.”
• Q: How can you make your office more accessible to those without computers, smartphones?
• Whitt: DARE program and other outreach/education efforts.
• Croy: Would urge officers to spend time in neighborhoods, talk to people. Would like distribute thrown-away cell phones for emergency use.
• Jackson: Sheriff’s deputies can distribute cards like candidates’ campaign flyers w relevant info about sheriff’s office
• Shelton: Treasurer’s office gets more questions by telephone than otherwise; try to have printed info available too.
• Ford: Telephone, media, being in office to help anyone who walks in.
• Royal: Would use more info inserts in comm/rev personal property mailings, also put handouts in grocery stores.
• Gillespie: Comm/rev office well-staffed w qualified people ready to help walk-ins. Cross-training is key.
• Royal: Continuing thought — put handouts in DMV too.
• Q: Is running w party affiliation more beneficial to county than running without it?
• Ford: Hard question to answer. People do ask why run as party candidate. “We run under affiliation because of what we believe in.”
• Shelton: “I’m a Democrat … but when someone walks into my office I don’t ask, ‘Are you a Democrat? Are you a Republican?’”
• Shelton: Treat all same, encourage people to vote, whatever party they are.
• Gillespie: I don’t see benefit in constitutional officers running for party, though networking helps campaign.
• Royal: I’m proud to be a Democrat — but anyone who comes to office will get same friendly service.
• Croy: No room for politics in sheriff’s office. Chose to run as Independent because couldn’t vow to support either party’s platform.
• Jackson: Party affiliation reflects personal belief, but doesn’t affect operation of sheriff’s office.
• Whitt: I’m proud to be a Democrat, but I serve all the citizens equally. “I guarantee you I am a minority within my own department.”
• Moderator Dorsett: Forum is to go til 8:45 pm
• Next Q: What is yr approach to continuing education for yourself and for your staff?
• Shelton: Always encouraged cross-training, kept up w #Treasurer offices around Virginia.
• Ford: #Cross-training is important, as is continuing ed through treasurers’ association or county.
• Gillespie: As CPA, required to get 40 hours continuing ed every year. Would encourage comm/rev staff to attain highest qualification can.
• Jackson: As police officer at #VirginiaTech, attained lots of certifications. As #sheriff, would push for others to get such certifications.
• Whitt: “I’ve grown up in law enforcement and learned the job from doing the job from the ground up.” But now emphasize training for officers
• Croy: “It’s a wasted day if you don’t learn something new each and every day.” Took 27 years go get bachelor’s degree in crim justice.
• Croy: Would work w sheriff’s office employees on training. “How can I expect them to do a job that I couldn’t do?”
• Q: What do you bring to office? Gillespie: Outside perspective, biz experience. Royal: Experience working 19 years in comm/rev office.
• Whitt: Bring about 36 years’ law enforcement experience to position as sheriff. Work as team w other staff.
• Croy: 29 years’ experience as #MontCo deputy. Mindset: “I’m kind of black and white. Either you know it or you’re gonna find out.”
• Jackson: Military experience including tour in Iraq, lots of schools and certifications.
• Ford: I bring experience in treasurer’s office. Treasurer should be able to perform duties, not just delegate them.
• Shelton: I’m a product of county schools, biz degree from Virginia Western Community College, professional training, lots of biz experience.
• Shelton: Always had open door for employees, know how to work with other professionals, taxpayers.
• Last Qs specific to departments. To sheriff hopefuls: What can residents do to help w security of community?
• Croy: Residents should keep eyes and ears open. Sheriff’s office should have anonymous call-in line for tips. Basically want intelligence
• Jackson: People need to care about neighborhood, have to want to make their community better.
• Jackson: If notice strange vehicle, something out of place at neighbor’s house, don’t wait to call sheriff’s office.
• Whitt: Yes, definitely encourage people to keep lookout and call if something seems odd; would rather have false alarm than unnoticed crime.
• Q for treasurer hopefuls:How much experience do you have with investment? How do you approach investment?
• Shelton: As businessman for decades, had lots of experience handling investment. When became treasurer, improved prior bad investments.
• Ford: Would keep eye on interest rates, options to improve investments.
• Q for comm/rev candidates: What can be done about assessing prop tax against vehicles on private property?
• Royal: I’m not sure why comm/rev stopped assessing vehicles w no tags; will look into. “I think we ought to assess everything people own.”
• Gillespie: Yes, need to look into, but also need to consider cost of tracking down info on untagged vehicles. Would see how others handle.
• That’s it for questions. Candidates are making short closing statements.
• Candidates are thanking League of Women Voters, asking for voters’ support, recapping their qualifications and approach to the job(s).
• And we’re done. Good night all, and check http://blogs.roanoke.com/theblogs later tonight for an archiving of these tweets.

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