Following a candidate forum Thursday evening for which he was the only candidate present, lifelong Front Royal resident R. Wayne Sealock earned the endorsement of the Warren County Republican Committee (WCRC).
Nicholas L. Jaroma, a 2016 Christendom College graduate filed to run for the seat vacated by Scott Lloyd in March of this year but has since decided to withdraw from the race, according to WCRC Secretary Tom McFadden. Jaroma, chairman for the Happy Creek Magisterial District of the WCRC, confirmed to Royal Examiner that he planned to formally withdraw from the race.
Thomas H. Sayre, who has previously served on the Front Royal Town Council and as a former Shenandoah District Supervisor in Warren County filed with the Warren County registrar’s office to run in the special election but has since withdrawn from the special election.
Gene M. Kilby is the lone Democrat seeking the partial term.
The November winner will have two years to serve before the term expires McFadden explained. He told the room of around two dozen attendees that a list of questions had been presented to candidates so that they might have time to consider their position on each question.
Sealock, a retired law enforcement officer with over 30 years on the job, introduced himself to the audience as a life-long member of Front Royal, “born and raised on Prospect Street” who wanted to make things better. He told the audience he was a moderate member of the party, who leaned more conservatively on fiscal responsibility while having a broader view on social issues. Sealock forthrightly said that while he had voted for Democrats in the past, he had voted with his party for the last 15-20 years.
Sealock spoke of the loss of his wife and business partner, Sue Sealock, in March 2021. She ran Sue’s Sewing and Embroidery on Chester Street, which is now open again he stated. Wayne volunteers for several organizations: he is the current president of the Royal Police Foundation Board, president of the Front Royal Moose Lodge, and works with the Safe Surfin’ nonprofit, which strives to educate and protect youth from harm while using modern technology.
Asked by moderator Tom McFadden about the Front Royal EDA (FREDA) recommendation to bring data centers to the Town, Sealock said he had concerns about such a move, and felt the infrastructure to support data centers was absent. Citing the need for proffers that would have incoming data centers installing the needed infrastructure, he said it would likely be a “no” vote for him if he were on the council. “They are going to be obsolete in 15 years; I would vote against data centers.”
Sealock also answered questions regarding whether Front Royal is a business-friendly community, citing the rapid growth of Winchester (which has about twice the population of Front Royal) compared to the much-slower growth of the Town. “We’re sometimes digging too deep into pockets,” he said. Sealock said a local builder had recently mentioned to him that it cost $20,000 for hookups to water, electric and sewer for a building project in the town.
Asked about two separate EDA boards existing in the community, Sealock said it was redundant to have two entities working for the same goal. Were he elected, Sealock said there would be “a hard discussion” regarding the two separate boards. “It’s redundant and a waste of taxpayer money.”
As the recently created Front Royal Economic Development Authority (FREDA) is without an executive director since Front Royal Town Manager Steven Hicks, who served in that role, was terminated earlier this month, that discussion might develop organically before the November election occurs.
Vice-Mayor Lori Cockrell attended the event and asked Sealock how he might resolve conflict among other council members. She referred to the recent termination of Hicks, which was not a unanimous council vote. Sealock smiled and said, “We’d do what we’re doing right now. We would talk about it and work it out.”
He went on to say that he strongly believes that the taxpayers of Front Royal should not be on the hook for the costly fees paid to search firms when hiring the next town manager and town attorney. “Why use a headhunter at $25,000 or more? I think when council hires a town manager and a town attorney, they need to look at people from the town. There are qualified people, and the H-R Department should be the ones hiring new staff.
Town records indicate that the firm of Baker Tilly was paid $24,500 to find a town manager, and then an additional $24,500 was paid to the same firm to locate a town attorney. Many were puzzled by that move, as municipal attorneys are typically hired from a local pool, as they are familiar with the workings of the local government.
Moving on to the future of the downtown business district’s East Main Street, the lone forum speaker was asked about its future and whether it should become a pedestrian-only mall or remain as it currently is. Sealock said he believed a pedestrian mall or one-way traffic flow on Main Street would “not work.” To invigorate business downtown, Sealock said Front Royal must be marketed jointly by the council and the town’s tourism team. He also said that both big business and “mom-and-pop” entities could both be courted with success.
Regarding the sometimes-contentious working relationship between Front Royal and Warren County, Sealock told the audience he would like to see an appointed liaison for each panel that would work together to keep both groups of leaders updated and working together. Both municipalities could realize savings by pooling large purchases, such as vehicles.
Sealock said some ways that the two groups could work together might include improving parks (which are County-owned), establishing a youth center, fixing streets and perhaps co-sponsoring festivals that could be held downtown. Big projects, he said, might cause tax rates to increase, but he strongly believed that once the project is completed, the tax rate should revert to the previous level.
As a council member, he would work on bringing an additional grocery store into town limits. “One store simply isn’t enough to handle our population,” Sealock said.
Asked by an audience member about the council’s role in oversight of the Warren County School system, Sealock said he believed that per Va. Code, that was not possible, though if there were issues that needed addressing, he felt contacting the Virginia Department of Education and the Governor would be appropriate. Asked if he would use a council member seat as a “bully pulpit” on school issues, Sealock stated that he had, when his children were in school, addressed the school board at times, but did not indicate that he would speak from a “bully pulpit” if elected. Sealock did, however, voice his opinion on the current school schedule, which he feels should revert to a previous one. “Parents are spending a lot of money on daycare between the hours of 2:30 and 4:00. Some families are lucky enough to have two grandparents who can pick up children at different schools within a narrow time margin. “School schedules are a problem and need to revert to the old schedule.”
Given a few minutes at the conclusion of the forum, moderator McFadden asked Sealock to weigh in on “why Wayne Sealock for council” and why the WCRC should endorse him. The candidate told the group of about 25 that he was a Front Royal native who had been active in the town for years, that he came from a family of local law enforcement officers who had served at the town and county level, and that he truly cared about the Town of Front Royal and felt that it was something he was called to do. Sealock served as the chairman of the Town’s Board of Zoning Appeals for 17 years, before wrapping up that stint in April of this year. “I know the inner workings of the town,” he said.
“We have to protect our protectors,” he stated, referring to the fact that many Front Royal Police Officers were driving older police cruisers with 200,000 miles or more on them. When he was a law enforcement officer, police cruisers were often replaced after 60,000 miles. Cars with such high mileage are less reliable and could impede an officer needing to get somewhere quickly. He pointed out the quarry explosion that occurred on August 23, which necessitated officers arriving quickly. It bothers him, he said, that some Front Royal employees were driving new trucks purchased by the Town while much older FRPD vehicles, with higher mileage, were not replaced in the Town budget.
A short time after Sealock wrapped up his comments, committee members voted to endorse him as a candidate for the special election to fill Scott Lloyd’s unexpired term.
On November 8, voters will elect a new mayor and three council members, who will serve four-year at-large seats. Vice Mayor Lori A. Cockrell is the lone candidate on the ballot for the two-year term for mayor. Mayor Christopher W. Holloway, whose term expires Dec. 31, stated earlier this year he would not seek re-election.
The four candidates seeking three council seats are Joshua L. Ingram, Councilman Zachary W. Jackson, Councilwoman Amber Faith Morris, and H. Bruce Rappaport.
While the Front Royal Town Charter states that local elections are nonpartisan and that candidates do not represent any political party on the ballot, local Republicans typically do weigh in with endorsements; the upcoming election is no exception. In fact, the committee website lists all current council members, save Thompson, as Republicans. Morris serves as the vice chairwoman of the WCRC executive committee, and Jackson serves as treasurer.
Regarding the seat vacated when Councilman Joseph E. McFadden abruptly resigned during an August 8 council meeting, the panel met in executive session at the close of the Monday, August 29 meeting to get legal advice pertaining to setting a date for a special election to fill the seat.
The town has advertised for a person council would appoint to McFadden’s vacant seat while noting that the town would also seek to put the seat on a ballot in a special election on an undetermined date.
McFadden also has questioned the validity of his resignation, as previously reported by Royal Examiner.
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