Marion Senior High School government students also took part in the educational program.
Marion Senior High School government students also took part in the educational program.
News
Top Story
Smyth voters convey their priorities
With more than 10,200 people casting ballots in Smyth County on Tuesday, voters spoke decisively. They significantly changed the face of Marion’s town council, elected a new mayor in Saltville, and led Chilhowie’s incumbent mayor to a resounding win. They, along with voters in numerous other localities, voted down an extra sales tax for school construction.
1% Sales Tax
The one local issue on the ballot that affected the entire county was the referendum on adding 1% to the sales tax on certain items to raise money for school renovation and construction.
Projected to bring in about $2.6 million per year and paid in part by travelers coming through the county, officials said the additional revenue would enable the county to borrow about $37 million for needed school construction or renovation projects. That figure is just a fraction of the $221 million in needs reported by the independent firm ZMM Architects and Engineers in a facilties study released earlier this year.
However, according to unofficial election results, 7,208 voters resoundlingly opposed the idea, voting the referendum down. That was 71.51% of the ballots cast. The opposition carried across all the county’s precincts.
Throughout Virginia only 15 localities of the 47 with a 1% sales tax referendum on the ballot approved it. Voters in neighboring Wythe and Grayson counties also rejected the move.
On Wednesday, Smyth’s superintendent, Dr. Brad Haga, said that now the School Board and administration will have to decide how they’ll get the upgrades and renovations from the facilities study done and in what order.
He reflected, “I worry for our students, families, and staff because the one percent could’ve helped us do some major upgrades to our current facilities….”
Haga wondered how much of the architectural and engineering study they can accomplish.
“Knowing the financial situation of our county, it is a worrisome spot to be in. But we will figure out what we need to do and what our directions are in the coming months,” Haga concluded.
Marion Town Council
Last-minute talk of a data center exploring town-owned land near Marion’s Exit 47 and questions about transparency raised by a group actively opposing the council’s incumbents appeared to galvanize voters to seek change. Only one of the four incumbents seeking reelection were returned to their seats.
That incumbent, Debra Hayes, garnered the most support, getting 870 votes, or 16.29% of the votes cast.
Voters also tapped Mavis Williams and Greg Taylor, newcomers to local politics, and Jim Barker to fill the seats that had been held by Susie Jennings, Tricia Spencer, and Larry Carter. Barker previously served on the council but stepped down in 2024 amid tensions with the council and the then town manager.
During a candidates’ forum last month, Barker said that he had concerns that the current council was trying to control Mayor Avery Cornett as they were trying to manage him. This change in the council alignment is expected to give Cornett more support for his initiatives.
Saltville Town Council
When Mayor Cheri Fullen decided not to seek reelection, two members of the council, Suzanne Carter Abramson and Eugene Call Jr., stepped up to vie for the post.
Voters gave their backing to Abramson, who won with 54.91% of the ballots cast.
Three seats were also open on the council, including Call’s. Filling those will be incumbents Ryan Comer and Cary Sauls and newcomer Tracy Prater.
Chilhowie Town Council
Paige Wright threw her hat into the ring to challenge incumbent mayor, Gary Heninger. Voters gave their strong backing to Heninger, who received 70.25% of the votes. He’s served as the town’s mayor since 2002.
Three seats on the council were also up for election. Councilman Shannon Donnelly didn’t run to keep his seat.
Voters gave the nod to incumbents, Brent Foster and Robert Jeter, and Lewis Shortt Jr., who is not a stranger to service on the council. Shortt first represented the town from 2002 to 2014 when he lost reelection. Then, he got the nod from voters to return to the council in March 2019 when he won a special election. He then lost a reelection run in 2022.
Congressional Races
While Virginia easily returned incumbent Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, to office, Smyth County voters didn’t concur. They gave nearly 70% of the vote to his opponent, Republican Bert Mizusawa.
For the 9th District House of Representatives seat, Smyth voters fully backed incumbent Morgan Griffith, who claimed 72.53% of the ballots cast. His opponent, Democrat Joy Powers received 27.21% of the vote.
State Constitutional Amendments
Smyth voters were largely opposed to the three proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution. The amendment that would guarantee reproductive decision-making freedom received the most support with nearly 34% of Smyth voters checking yes.
26.49% of local voters said yes to the amendment that would remove the ban on same-sex marriage. The third amendment, which dealt with voting rights, especially for convicted felons, received 28.61% of Smyth’s votes.
Across Virginia, all three amendments were approved.
Voter Turnout
About 48% of the county’s 21,155 registered voters cast ballots in this election. The same percentage voted in the 2025 general election.
Unofficial Results
All the results of Tuesday’s election are considered unofficial as officials ensure accuracy and verify that proper procedures were followed. Once those processes are completed, the State Board of Elections is expected to certify the results on Dec. 7. To see the counts, visit elections.virginia.gov.
