Paul Beyer

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Paul Beyer
20110608-beyer.gif
Paul Beyer

Party Democratic
Election Nov. 8, 2011
For term to start 2012

Biographical Information

Date of birth April 13, 1982
Age 41
Place of birth Charlottesville
Alma mater New York University, B.A. Film, Writing, & History
Profession Homebuilder
Website Campaign website
Campaign $ VPAP
Contributions $ VPAP


Paul Beyer is Vice President of Development for R.L. Beyer Construction where he handles land sales and acquisitions, advertising and promotional outreach, rental property management, and interaction with City and County government. He is responsible for the development of the Huntley neighborhood in Charlottesville. Beyer is past Chair of the Albemarle County Housing Committee and is involved with the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority Redevelopment Project focusing on public housing. Beyer is a member of the 2010-2011 Leadership Charlottesville class.[1]

Election 2011

Beyer announced his candidacy for the Charlottesville City Council on June 8, 2011.[2] He was one of seven candidates seeking 3 nominations by the Charlottesville Democratic Party in their August 20, 2011 "firehouse primary." During the race, he held a series of informal meetings at his apartment called "Take About the City." [3] When the votes were counter, Beyer came in fourth by trailing 31 votes to Deirdre “Dede” Smith in the fifth round of counting. [4]

Charlottesville Democrats Candidate Video[5]

Democratic primary for city council

As a novice in the political arena, Beyer ran a mostly self-funded campaign. VPAP Records indicate that Beyer provided $5,139 of his personal funds, which were matched by $950 from three individual contributors and $1,000 from the Blue Ridge Homebuilders Association, of which his father and county developer R. L. Beyer was formerly president[6]. He also received $2,568 in donated products and services.[7] During the race, he held a series of informal meetings at his apartment called "Talk About the City."[8]

The "firehouse primary," designed to produce three candidates for city council from a field of seven, involved a casting of votes over five rounds.[9]In the first round, Beyer practically tied Blount for fourth place, because he only held a single vote margin over Blount, the only African-American candidate in the race.[10] In a standard primary, Smith would have been victorious at this stage by a margin of 34 votes. However, the instant run-off nature of the primary eliminated candidates in four more rounds of voting, during which Beyer seemed like he might overtake Smith. In the end, however, Beyer came in fourth as predicted by the initial ballot, trailing 31 votes to Deirdre "Dede" Smith in the fifth round of counting which concluded shortly after 1 am.

Beyer requested a formal recount of the final ballots given the narrow margin of victory for Smith. He was quoted as saying, "It's down to 31 votes. We need to count these things again in the morning just to make sure we've got things exactly the way they should be.” The recount confirmed that the original count was exact and that Beyer would not receive the third Democratic nomination for city council. Democratic Party co-chair Jim Nix described the situation simply, stating that, "The sad reality is that a majority of the candidates will be disappointed at the end of the day and so will their supporters. There's just no way around it. In this election a majority of people will be losers."

Issues

Questions and answers published in The Daily Progress on August 14, 2011.[11]

Do you support construction of the Meadow Creek Parkway in the city?

Yes, I do. I think we have a problem sticking with our decisions, and the parkway is a prime example. The real decision points came and went a long time ago, and yet we still argue. My question is: how does dead ending a major road directly in front of our high school serve anybody’s purposes? It’s time to focus on the positives.With the completion of the parkway, we will have a beautiful gateway to downtown, a vastly improved alternative transportation network, including pedestrian walkways and bike trails, and a far more accessible park to more of our citizens.

Do you support the approved water supply plan or a different approach?

I support both the 2006 plan that received support from environmental groups, business groups and many other stakeholders, as well as the amended plan from earlier this year. I worry the water issue has become a distraction, both in this campaign and on Council, that keeps us from talking about issues far more important to the lives of our citizens. I’ve been hosting town halls for months now and asking people what issues matter to them most.The water issue hardly ever comes up. People are concerned about meaningful jobs, economic vitality, green infrastructure and promoting equality in the city.That will be my focus on council

What is the most important thing the city can do to create jobs?

Support small businesses.They are the backbone of the community and preserve our hometown values.When people talk about jobs, it is easy to look for easy solutions, such as an outside industry that will be the answer to all our problems. Of course, we should partner with UVa, as well as target industries that will meet our citizens’ needs, but focus first on our dependable, local, hometown businesses. My family business, R.L. Beyer, has 20 long-term employees and dozens of subcontractors. I am running because council needs this diverse perspective that is sympathetic to small business.

Does the city have an affordable housing problem? What should council do?

We absolutely have a workforce housing problem. Many small businesses’ employees, as well as police, nurses and teachers, cannot afford to live here. Instead, they commute from outlying counties. Thirty-minute commutes are not good for families and they are not good for the environment. One of the most sustainable things we can do is build affordable workforce housing in Charlottesville. Doing this will take creative public-private partnerships. I have volunteered for six years on committees in both Charlottesville and Albemarle dealing with these issues and I will continue bringing more civicminded business leaders into the discussion.

What should the city do on the issue of addressing poverty?

We will not solve poverty in Charlottesville until we broaden our tax base, support our small businesses and focus on job creation. We often focus on education as the solution to poverty, but education can only succeed if kids have hope for the future and feel what they’re learning in school is relevant to their success. Our schools shouldn’t only be serving the children going to college.We should be offering vocational training programs and making sure we have good jobs waiting for our kids when they graduate.When that happens, we will begin to break the cycle of poverty.

What is the city’s biggest challenge in transportation?

Our biggest challenge in the city is balancing attempts to become less automobile dependent while recognizing we must continue investing in our roads and automobile infrastructure in order for the downtown core to thrive.Cars are still the majority use of Charlottesville’s citizens and our customer base. Recent approvals of new roadways are a byproduct of the region’s outward growth. If bike lanes and bus lines are to thrive, a critical mass must begin to exist within the city, specifically along our growth corridors. Alternative transportation is dependent upon a vibrant downtown.

What will be your top priority if elected?

My top policy priorities are creating more upwardly mobile jobs, diversifying the middle class and focusing on the local economy. I’ll also work hard to form a bridge between council and the business community. For example, I’ve served on affordable housing committees where I’m one of the only private businesspeople or homebuilders involved. We must engage as many stakeholders as possible in the process. Not having progressive, civic-minded businesspeople invested in our discussions makes it harder to get things done.

References

  1. Ross, Jann. Leadership Charlottesville 2011 Class Directory. Charlottesville: Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, 12 Sept. 2010. PDF.
  2. Web. Beyer announces campaign for Charlottesville City Council, Frank Muraca, site, Charlottesville Tomorrow, 9 June 2011, retrieved 15 June 2011.
  3. Web. Beyer's Talk About the City attracts diverse crowd, Chiara Canzi, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, August 9, 2011, retrieved SAugust 9, 2011. Print. August 9, 2011 .
  4. Web. Recount confirms Democratic Council noms, Graham Moomaw, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, August 22, 2011, retrieved August 23, 2011.
  5. Web. Paul R. Beyer: Candidate for City Council, Charlottesville City Democrats, 31 July 2011, retrieved 8 August 2011.
  6. Web. Blue Ridge Homebuilder's Association Past Presidents
  7. Web. Virginia Public Access Project - Finance Records for Paul Beyer
  8. Web. Beyer's Talk About the City attracts diverse crowd, Chiara Canzi, August 9, 2011, retrieved August 9, 2011.
  9. Web. [1]
  10. Web. Recount confirms Democratic Council noms, Graham Moomaw, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, August 22, 2011, retrieved August 23, 2011.
  11. Web. Democratic hopefuls weigh in on the issues, Graham Moomaw, The Daily Progress, 14 August 2011, retrieved 15 August 2011.

External links

2011 candidacy site