Albert J. “Jay” Lewis II has served as the Walkers Creek representative on the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors since 2017 when he was first elected to the seat and is running for a third term as the district’s representative. He brings experience from several local boards and commissions to the board, including with Rockbridge County public schools, the Rockbridge/Lexington/ Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce, the Brownsburg Ruritan Club and the Blue Ridge Resource Authority. He is also a former chair of the Board of Supervisors. He works as the manager of a “small, agricultural…retail/ wholesale business,” and has previous work experience in “finance, budget analysis and technology.”
Lewis told The News-Gazette that he is running for re-election this year because “I continue to be determined to not have Rockbridge be known as the ‘county of no.’” He pointed to several successes across his two terms on the Board of Supervisors, including six years of increased services by “leveraging visitor revenues with no direct local tax increases on our houses and vehicles.” He also advocated for ending the annual county decal renewal, which he says was “especially tough on the small businesses,” and means “less government and less taxes on us.” He was also personally involved in “returning $11 million of our federal tax dollars for infrastructure projects.”
If re-elected, Lewis said he will continue the work he has done as a supervisor to balance the need for economic growth in the county and the zoning regulations that make sure potential businesses and developers aren’t disruptive of the county’s natural resources.
“I have worked diligently for the past two terms to make decisions that allow for smart growth,” he said. “Growth should be a positive and we need to manage it.”
He will also continue his support for emergency services within the county and find ways to address volunteer and staffing shortages.
“I have supported the volunteer associations’ budget requests beyond what the full Board has approved, since they give so much to our citizens,” he said. “I have brought forward, and will continue to bring new suggestions to generate revenue to support the volunteers and wages needed to retain and attract talented and accredited staff. We have had some retirements on the staff side, but we have been fortunate to attract new yet experienced staff.”
Of the county’s long-term solid waste plan, Lewis said, “If one agrees with the plan, it is progressing well.”
“I have worked to identify a site that makes sense for the citizens of [my district] in addition to sites within or closely adjacent to the district – Goshen, Fairfield and Greenhouse Road,” he said. “I have not been able to identify a really good site, nor did the supervisor before me who was involved in creating the plan.”
Lewis also promised to continue his support for the town of Goshen’s efforts to increase services and make the town attractive to visitors and businesses. He also noted several ways he’s already supported the town, including advocating for funding for the town to build its proposed community center, ensuring that the town’s branch of the Rockbridge Regional Library remains in town for citizens, and most recently bringing a request to allow for a split of the admissions tax revenue from the 611 train excursions between the town and the county.
Other priorities for Lewis include increasing the availability of childcare and affordable housing options for county citizens.
“I believe my experiences as a small business owner help me understand the give and take which exists between our community government and the needs of our business owners,” he said. “I think I am equipped to help us continue to expand opportunities for taxpayers and business owners. I would be honored to continue to serve and I sincerely ask for your vote.”
LEWIS
