Republicans formally kick off City Council run

The team of Republican candidates running in the at-large City Council elections formally kicked off their campaign Monday, outlining a platform that calls for full support of public safety, keeping education dollars in the classroom and curbing spending on projects like the Fifth Street roundabout and Bluffwalk Center.

The candidates, H. Cary, Don Good and Ted Hannon, each took to the floor during the event held at the Monte Carlo Italian Restaurant to make their first public statements about their campaign.

The trio highlighted the diversity of their professional backgrounds, but also touched on common themes regarding taxes, spending and the direction of the city.

“The citizens of Lynchburg can no longer afford the tax-and-spend mentality of the current City Council. That’s why I’m running,” H. Cary said, adding he has seen real estate taxes increase and “stood by helplessly” as money was spent to support the downtown Bluffwalk Center and other “nice to have” projects.

Don Good also took issue with the tax rate and a long list of budget decisions, including the Fifth Street roundabout and a citywide hiring freeze that has created vacancies in the public safety division.

“We, as citizens, have to live within a budget and set priorities,” he said. “On City Council, I will work with H. Cary and Ted Hannon and others to reign in spending and ensure our tax dollars are spent on the core services we need, not the pet projects we don’t.”

Ted Hannon said he felt council had lost sight of its core purpose and called for a return to sensible and affordable government.

Cary, Good and Hannon intend to run as one slate for the three at-large council seats coming up for election in May. Their campaign announcement was attended by around 70 people wearing large blue stickers bearing the names of all three candidates.

Attendees included current Lynchburg Republican Committee chairman Mark Peake, former chairman Wendell Walker, Ward IV Councilman

Turner Perrow and Ward III Councilman Jeff Helgeson, who served as a sort of emcee during the event.

Supporters noted the range of experience and backgrounds each candidate brought to the table.

Cary, 64, is CEO of Westminster Canterbury of Lynchburg, a large retirement community with more than 300 employees and a multi-million dollar budget. He plans to enter retirement in July.

Good, 45, works at Pet Dairy and his wife is a teacher. He described himself as a “just an average guy” trying to raise his three teenaged children and make ends meet.

Hannon, 57, is an attorney who also manages a resort in Hawaii, where he lived for many years before moving to Lynchburg.

If elected, the slate says it work to ensure the public safety division is fully funded and staffed, promote efforts to spend education money in the classroom rather than on administration and focus on the core services on government.

The candidates also said they would bring a fresh and balanced perspective to council. Hannon, a self-described “Reagan Republican,” said he liked to think of Lynchburg as the shining city on a hill that the former president spoke of so often.

“But in order for us to be that, we need to focus on our future and not on the differences of our past,” he added. “That said, we as a slate pledge to listen to every group of people and fairly and honestly represent every part of the city without bias or favoritism.”

The City Council elections are May 4. The deadline for candidates to file is March 2.

Hunsdon 'H.' Cary

Don Good

Ted Hannon