Why the Current Board of Supervisors Has Failed the Interests of the Culpeper Community

1. Inadequate High-speed Internet Access
Reliable and high-speed internet is essential for work, education, healthcare, and economic development. Yet, large parts of Culpeper County still lack access to high-speed internet, putting our residents and students at a serious disadvantage.

2. Failing Our Schools
Our schools are falling behind. Culpeper teachers are forced to use mobile carts to move between shared classroom spaces instead of having proper classrooms—a clear indication of overcrowding and poor planning. This is unacceptable for our students and educators.

3. No Long-Term Planning for Growth
Culpeper continues to grow, but the Board has shown little foresight or planning for the future. There is no clear vision for Culpeper County’s infrastructure, development, or community needs, resulting in reactive instead of proactive governance.

4. Lack of Transparency and Poor Communication

• Only Board of Supervisor meetings are televised, no work sessions or committee meetings: despite public requests for broader access.

• Extensive and costly renovation plans were developed without securing funding or involving the public or advisory committees. Or Consulting with the Town as best mutual options

• Approved projects often move forward with no public discussion or awareness until construction begins.

5. Irresponsible Data Center Zoning and Contracts
The Board of Supervisors approved zoning for data centers under highly questionable terms:

• Business incentives remain in place with minimal return to Culpeper County.

• Poor access to power infrastructure planning.

• Weak contract terms: only a $3M proffer with no ability to stop the assignment of contracts, no time term limits on operations, and no right or ability to renegotiate those terms over the passage of time.

6. Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Failures
The CIP is not working

• Culpeper schools are overcrowded and underfunded.

• The jail is overcrowded and beyond its functional capacity.

• The Sheriff’s Office continues to be understaffed and forced to operate without adequate facilities such as holding rooms.

• The Culpeper Courthouse is outdated and poses safety risks to staff and the public.

7. Poor Employee Compensation and Benefits

• County employees face high insurance premiums and poor health plans compared to neighboring jurisdictions.

• County employees pay cycles are outdated in comparison to neighboring jurisdictions.

• Sheriff’s Office pay cycles are outdated, and overtime payment is made well outside state guidelines, creating retention and morale issues.

8. Fire & Rescue Services Are Strained

• Our first responders have long suffered from lack of essential equipment, modern training facilities, and consistent Board of Supervisors support for years.

• These shortcomings directly impact public safety and emergency response times.

9. Rising Taxes with No Tangible Benefits
Despite rising taxes, residents have seen too little return in services, infrastructure, or investment in community priorities.

10. Down-Zoning of RA and A1 Properties
The current Board of Supervisors has repeatedly attempted to push down-zoning of RA and A1 agricultural lands—against the wishes of property owners.

• Most of last year was spent fighting this proposal.

• Now, the chairman has revived the effort, after work sessions on this matter the ordering of a study that likely won’t be completed until after the election—wasting taxpayer money and ignoring community opposition.

Conclusion of Failures by the current Board of Supervisors

Culpeper deserves better. The current Board of Supervisors has demonstrated a pattern of poor decision-making, lack of transparency, and failure to address critical infrastructure and public safety needs. It's time for leadership that listens to the people, plans for the future, and prioritizes community well-being over closed-door decisions and short-term gains.

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Mandy Brown’s Focus for Cedar Mountain’s Board of Supervisor Seat

1. Complete Transparency:

• Why this matters: Transparency can build trust, and when Culpeper citizens can watch meetings or get real-time updates, they can be assured of inclusion in the decision-making processes.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: All Board of Supervisor and Planning Commission meetings, to include work sessions and committee meetings, should be televised and/or live-streamed; meeting summaries should then be posted on social media. Public Town Hall meetings should be held at least each quarter, and more often when major issues arise. I plan heavy community involvement with and accessibility to our Culpeper citizens, so they can be assured that the Board of Supervisors hear and know their needs.

2. Capital Improvement Projects (CIP):

• Why this matters: A strategic, citizen-involved approach to capital improvements ensures that community needs are met without waste or inefficiency.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: An advisory committee will be created to include residents, experts, and local business owners to guide funding priorities. Regular public feedback sessions will be held to keep the community engaged and invite public input on those recommendations. Strategic sourcing of funding will allow both short and long-term payoffs in accomplishing CIP goals. Public referendum votes should be considered for large financial projects affecting the citizens.

3. Modernizing County Employee Pay:

• Why this matters: Improved payroll structure helps retain good employees and keeps morale high. It also aligns with the needs of other counties.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: Staff will be quickly assigned to provide options for bi-weekly pay – this change will be substantially significant to Culpeper employees cash flow and budgeting. This biweekly pay will likely improve overtime pay to the Sheriff's department eliminating any questionable practices currently occurring.

4. Public Safety and Gym Access:

• Why this matters: Ensuring the Sheriff’s Office has the resources they need (like gyms for physical fitness) is incredibly effective in supporting officer well-being.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: Review current gym access protocols for schools or private gyms to improve fitness access for the Sheriff’s Office.

5. Healthcare Negotiations:

• Why this matters: County employees should have competitive benefits- they currently are subpar to Town of Culpeper employee benefits and should be the same or better. Good health care options are a strong recruitment and retention tool.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: Staff will be assigned to explore all options, including research, negotiation and alternative plans that offer more comprehensive benefits. Staff will be assigned to work on better negotiations for County health care plans, whether that is provided by a third party or in-house.

6. Removing Business Incentives for Data Centers:

• Why this matters: Data centers can be a huge asset, but without careful planning, they can overwhelm infrastructure or lead to a loss of local control.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: Immediately, business incentives need to be removed from the Data Center Zone and a new ordinance provided for conditional use permits for any new data center.

7. Internet Access and Broadband:

• Why this matters: As more people rely on the internet for work and education, access to reliable broadband becomes a critical infrastructure issue.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: There will be appropriate vetting of internet broadband companies, which will need to happen as soon as the liability from the termination of the failure of the existing contract is determined.

8. Exploring Tax Deferment for Elderly & Handicap Residents:

• Why this matters: Helping seniors and people with disabilities stay in their homes is an important community value.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: Conduct an evaluation of the current tax deferment program to identify gaps or improvements that could provide additional relief.

9. Protecting Property Rights:

• Why this matters: Property rights are a big concern for rural and agricultural landowners, and the threat of downzoning creates uncertainty.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: Propose policies that protect agricultural landowners from changes in zoning that devalue their property; I want to keep and protect the owner’s rights to control their land according to current zoning and use.

10. Against Rezoning for High Density Development:

• Why this matters: High-density development can change the character of a community and impact existing property values.

• Mandy Brown’s Action Plan: I will focus on growth strategies that respect existing zoning laws while encouraging smart, sustainable development.

Mandy Brown’s Message

If I am elected, I will make certain the Board of Supervisors is listening to the Culpeper community, ensuring that decisions are made transparently and collectively, and prioritizing long-term fiscal responsibility. These are all key issues for Culpeper voters who are concerned with both the economic and social well-being of their local area.

Let’s Build a Culpeper That Works for All of Us!!