Camden Hopes To Overcome ‘Citizen Apathy’
Veteran Glasgow Town Council member Tom Camden places much importance on long-range planning. He notes that “decades of economic uncertainty have taken their toll on our citizens and, consequently, our town has struggled with issues like property maintenance. That is slowly being addressed and will take time. ”
A candidate for re-election, Camden says, “Glasgow has the potential to grow and prosper and, as a concerned citizen, I want to do all that I can to make that happen.” He said Council is striving to attract and retain businesses. “Revenue streams are essential for growth and will insure the future of the town.”
He’s cognizant of the fact that “our town has an aging population, many of whom are living on fixed incomes and some even below the poverty level. The governing body of the town must take measures to address the needs of those individuals while at the same time doing all that is possible to attract younger families to live in the community.
“Even though we are a small community, we are experiencing some of the same issues that are prevalent in large urban areas, namely substance abuse, homelessness and lawless behavior. Those are ongoing concerns that are dealt with on a daily basis. One of my chief concerns, however, is citizen apathy. We need more citizens of Glasgow to step up to assist a seriously understaffed town administration and to take pride in a community that is naturally beautiful.”
A 1971 graduate of Natural Bridge High School, Camden holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and a graduate degree from the University of Tennessee. He had a long career in academia and historical research that included serving as director of the George C. Marshall Library and Museum at Virginia Military Institute and as associate professor and associate university librarian for special collections at W&L, from which he retired in 2023.
CAMDEN
