CUMBERLAND – David E. Meinhard announced his candidacy for the Fourth Election District seat on the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors this week in a press release. He has received the Republican nomination to oppose current Supervisor Elbert Womack.

According to the release, Meinhard is a retired teacher who served more than 25 years in the Cumberland County Public Schools. He also served in the magistrate's office in Cumberland for 10 years. He has served more than 24 years in the Army and the Virginia National Guard. Meinhard also gave 30 years of service to his community as a member of volunteer rescue squads.

In the release he states, “that deciding to run was not a spur of the moment decision, but that he had been considering it since the current Board of Supervisors adopted their budget for (the) 2010-2011 fiscal year. That budget slammed county taxpayers with a more than 40 percent tax increase, primarily to meet debt service for debts the current board had incurred.”

“Meinhard favors promoting responsible development and growth in the county. Rather than blocking business or making it difficult for them to locate in Cumberland, he feels that efforts to attract them and make it easier for them to come to Cumberland are preferable. Cumberland needs to attract the kinds of business and development that will create jobs and increase the county's tax base,” states the release.

“I remember the Board of Supervisors 40 years ago saying that they didn't want Cumberland to be a bedroom county. At that time 65 percent of those people living in Cumberland County and holding a job drove outside the county to go to work. Today that figure is even higher,” Meinhard said in the release.

“The businesses that the current Supervisors have drawn to the county are a 'garbage dump' (landfill) that is yet to open, a 'bio-solids' storage and distribution site, and a (chicken litter digester). As yet, none of these are great contributors to county jobs or to the county tax base,” continues Meinhard's release.

The release continues to state, “today the largest employers in Cumberland County are the Cumberland County Public Schools and the Cumberland County government. Neither of these generate any tax revenues or tax base for the county, but are dependant on tax revenues from the people in order to exist and operate.”

In the release Meinhard states that he “promises to work for responsible growth and development in Cumberland County. He will listen to and be responsible to the voters of his district and will not have to wait until seeking their signatures on a petition to hear them.

He also makes the following pledges to the voters of the Fourth District:

“I will vote against any new taxes or additional taxes during my term of office; I will vote against any increase in current taxes during my term of office; I will vote against any new county debt during my term of office unless it is absolutely necessary to meet an emergency or disaster; (and) I will vote against any additions to current debt during my term of office except to meet emergency or disaster needs,” the release states.

Meinhard said, “I asked the current members of the Board of Supervisors to make the pledges above during budget hearings this spring. None of them were willing to make these pledges. It is time for a change.”