From VCU press release:
10th District Virginia Senate candidates to face off at VCU
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 14, 2015) – The leading candidates for the 10th District seat in the Virginia Senate will field questions from young voters at a town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Republican Glen Sturtevant and Democrat Dan Gecker will discuss key issues from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 303 of Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave., on VCU’s Monroe Park campus.
The event is sponsored by Virginia21, a nonpartisan group representing the state’s young voters; the VCU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists; and VCU’s Department of Political Science and the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture in the College of Humanities and Sciences.
Gecker, a member of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, and Sturtevant, a member of the Richmond School Board, are vying to succeed Republican Sen. John Watkins, who is retiring.
The outcome of the Nov. 3 election could determine whether Republicans continue to control the Virginia General Assembly. The GOP dominates the House of Delegates and has a 21-19 advantage in the Virginia Senate.
Watkins is considered a political moderate who has sided with Democrats on some issues, such as expanding Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income residents. In recent statewide elections, the 10th Senate District has leaned Democratic.
The district includes parts of the VCU campus, part of Chesterfield County and all of Powhatan County. For a full map of the district, go to: http://www.vpap.org/offices/state-senate-10/district-map/.
During the town hall, Sturtevant and Gecker will answer questions from a panel of young voters assembled by Virginia21. They will include VCU, community college and high school students. The candidates will also take questions from the audience.
The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Guests must RSVP at: bit.ly/VA21TownHallatVCU.
Libertarian Carl Loser and Independent Marleen Durfee also are running for the 10th Senate District seat. It is among a half-dozen Senate races that are considered especially competitive this fall.
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There is a highly questionable PILOT for federal taxes in the City’s water utility bills. We could find no other local utility in Virginia that charged a PILOT for federal taxes. We estimate that by axing this PILOT, households could save as much as $5 a month off their monthly utility bills. Also, we have requested through one of our state senators a decision from the state Attorney General’s office as to whether the city utility’s federal income tax PILOT surcharge is legal. Our senator made this request over a year ago, but we have yet to receive a response. This is somewhat a state policy issue, since in Virginia under the Dillon Rule the local utility’s power to assess payments in lieu of taxes must be conferred on them by the Virginia General Assembly. It is our belief that the PILOT in lieu of federal income tax has not been approved by the General Assembly. Yet current candidates for the same seat have not made it a campaign issue.