SUFFOLK, Va. — The November 5 election is about two weeks away, and in Suffolk, three City Council races are on the ballot.
Lue Ward is running unopposed for the Nansemond Borough.
But someone is challenging the incumbent in both the Sleepy Hole and Whaleyville Boroughs.
In the Sleepy Hole Borough, which includes Driver, Bennetts Creek and Harbourview, Ebony Wright is challenging incumbent City Councilman, Roger Fawcett.
In the Whaleyville Borough, which includes areas just south of downtown and stretches to the North Carolina border, Jason Wooldridge is challenging incumbent City Councilman, LeOtis Williams.
The common focus among all four candidates for Suffolk City Council is how to deal with the city’s growth.
Below is a profile of each candidate, with links to their websites for more information about their policies and vision for Suffolk:
Sleepy Hole Borough – Incumbent City Councilman Roger Fawcett
- First elected to Suffolk City Council in 2012.
- Served in the U.S. Navy from 1969-1973 and received an honorable discharge.
- Former Fire Chief/Site Manager of Norfolk Naval Station.
"We are working on traffic congestion which seems to be the big thing today facing all of us, with that, I’d like to work on smart growth as well as affordable housing in the next council if I am reelected," Fawcett said.
“Quality of life, city services, keeping taxes low, smart growth, making sure our public schools are well maintained, as well as funding the economic development, traffic congestion and maintaining our triple A bond rating," he said. "Those are the key things that we’ve got to continue to work on.”
Sleepy Hole Borough – Challenger Ebony Wright
- Served active duty in the U.S. Navy for four years and received an honorable discharge.
- Founder and president of a nonprofit that awards scholarships to students in Suffolk Public Schools.
- Has held various positions with the federal government.
“There are a lot of changes happening in our city, and I want to be able to influence that change," said Wright. "One of the big issues for us is rapid growth, which is actually outpacing our infrastructure, and so I want to be someone who listens to the voices of the citizens of Suffolk and do something about that and come up with solution."
“Suffolk is one of the largest cities here in our state, it is the largest city in our state, and so there is enough room and enough land for there to be affordable housing, for us to have a better student to teacher ratio, for us to not have to sit in traffic because we’re trying to put so much right in the north part of the city," she said. "So, when I talk to citizens across the Sleepy Hole Borough, those are their concerns.”
Whaleyville Borough – Incumbent City Councilman LeOtis Williams
- First elected to Suffolk City Council in 2020.
- Self-made entrepreneur.
- Former member of the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and the Suffolk Substance Abuse and Youth Council.
“My main purpose of running was to give a voice to the people, myself included, who didn’t have a voice," said Williams. "And we’ve been able to get a lot of things done as it relates to getting roads, milling and paving, throughout the Willoughby Borough, and throughout the city."
“I think the city is on the right path, we’ve got a good council right now, we’re not rushing to any kind of judgement, we think things through, we allow staff to give us good feedback, and I like to see what we have in place to continue," he said.
Whaleyville Borough – Challenger Jason Wooldridge
- U.S. Navy veteran after eight years of service.
- Small business entrepreneur and current engineer
- Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering and a second Bachelor of Science in Project Management
“I think Suffolk needs to be better, not bigger... Downtown is suffering while we are expanding and giving up valuable land, and I just don't think that's the right answer, so I would like to see us reverse track and stop this outward expansion and focus inward, and revitalize our city," said Wooldridge. "Downtown has existing infrastructure, it might need some renovations, but it's designed and laid out already to support higher-density housing. It really presents the most logical solution in my opinion to the affordable housing shortage that we have."
“We don’t want to stop the growth, but we want to do it smarter, and we want to do it in the areas where it makes more sense to do it," he said. "I’m not in it for me, this is not about me, this is about my community, and me trying to serve my community and make it a better place.”