The Middleburg Town Council published an appeal for candidates this month to fill the expiring terms of Mayor Betsy Davis, and Council Members Eura Lewis, Bundles Murdock and Trowbridge Littleton. The May 6, 2008, election comes at a critical time in the history of Middleburg. Due to the annexation of the Salamander property on the north edge of town, Middleburg is, physically, twice the size it was when the current Town Council took office. The Mayor and Council that will emerge from the May elections will enjoy both unprecedented power and responsibility, as they take on the burden of oversight and management of the growth and development shaped, and indeed, made possible, by the decisions of their predecessors.

Mayor Davis and Council Members Lewis and Littleton have generally been counted as supporters of the Salamander project and closely managed growth. Murdock consistently opposed the Salamander project, then joined ranks with other council members in efforts to minimize disruption and optimize the benefits of the development for the town.

Mayor Davis has not formally announced whether or not she will seek election as Mayor for a second term. Informed sources tell the Eccentric that she is definitely running . . . others are equally insistent that she isn't. Eura Lewis, compelled by a family emergency to take an extended leave from Council activities this Fall, also remains an unknown. Trowbridge Littleton, who stepped in to fill the unexpired term of former Council Member and Salamander opponent, Helen Hyre, is widely expected to run.

Murdock Steps Down

Bundles Murdock has told the Eccentric she definitely will not seek reelection. "The years I have spent on the town's BZA, Planning Commission and Town Council have been rewarding, enlightening and sometimes exhausting," she said. "I have served my community in several cities and towns for about forty years, starting in NYC in my twenties. Needless to say, I am tired."

Noting that "for many, it is easier to sit back and complain, be negative and criticize," Murdock insists that she strongly disagrees with that philosophy. "We live in a wonderful community," Murdock said. "It is a great mix of young and older—of various backgrounds and experiences. We need some more of those people to step up to the plate.

"It has been an honor to serve with so many accomplished members and I look forward to their friendship in the coming years."

Meetings and Qualifications

Finding candidates for Town office in Middleburg has been difficult in the past. From a total population of less than 700 people, the Town must choose a Mayor and seven voting members of Town Council. Thus, in any given year, more than 1% of the entire population of Middleburg is serving on Town Council.

Mayors serve two-year terms. Council Members serve for four years, with elections staggered for continuity. To run for Mayor or one of the three open council seats, a candidate must be: 1. a legal resident of Middleburg as of 7:00 PM, March 4, 2008 (the time at which formal "Declaration of Candidacy" and "Certificate of Candidate" forms must be filed in the office of the Loudoun County General Registrar in Leesburg); 2. a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia for at least one year immediately preceding the election; and 3. qualified "to vote for and hold the office sought."

To be "qualified to vote for and hold the office sought" means only that a candidate must be 18 years old by May 6th, a U.S. citizen, not registered to vote in another state, "not currently declared mentally incompetent by a court of law," and, "if convicted of a felony", their "right to vote must have been restored." There are no other technical or educational qualifications for serving as Mayor or on the Town Council.

For more information, see the State Board of Elections website (www.sbe.virginia.gov).