Name: Josh Chandler
Age: 42
Hometown: Warrenton
Occupation: Engineer
Position sought: Warrenton Ward 2 alderman
Previous political experience: None
Why are you running and why should people vote for you?
I never had any intention to run for political office. Like others in the community, the data center project got my attention. I saw that many officials did not understand the technical issues of this type of project, including those in charge of approving and putting conditions on the proposal. I felt that this kind of knowledge was important for decision-makers to have, and there was no way for me to provide it to them during meetings. I actually became interested in a position on the Planning & Zoning commission, with the intention of being able to provide the input that I felt was missing. I had several people approach me individually to suggest that I run for alderman; I realized that they were right. This is where I could make the greatest impact. I believe in honesty and accountability. Local government exists for the good of the public. The public should see that their officials are as transparent as possible.
People should vote for me if they feel like a technical understanding is missing from the Board, and if they are looking for someone that is used to understanding and complying with building codes and ordinances. New issues come up all the time, and I dig in to those issues to understand their impact as well as what can and cannot be done to mitigate risks. I am under no illusion that everyone would agree with any given vote I would be responsible for; but my intention is for everyone to know their opinion was heard and considered.
What are your goals if elected?
The public is tired of funding the infrastructure for developers coming to the area. I think there should be a project threshold (more than just building 1 house on an existing lot) that triggers developer reimbursement for that infrastructure. That reimbursement should be utilized to pay off loans used for the financed build-out or reinvested to fund future maintenance. I would like to see regular public forums, outside of Official Board of Alderman meetings, where the public has the opportunity to have a dialog with officials. I want to work on our ordinances so commercial developers coming into our city are constructing buildings that are aesthetically appealing and improve the appearance of our town, while providing the economic benefits they bring to our area.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency?
I believe that our elected officials missed an opportunity to better include the public in the broader conversation surrounding the Data center project, and the public has serious trust issues because of it. I want to be more than just a technical advisor on the board. I also want to rebuild the public confidence. There is an issue with housing prices in our area. Not everyone is looking for a house that, realistically, starts around $300k. Prices for new houses are driven by a number of factors, but the two dictated by the city are: lot size and minimum structure size. Structure size is the greater factor in the final price of a property. I think we need to make some adjustments here to allow for lower cost options.
