Amherst County Board of Supervisors Chair Tom Martin announced he is seeking a second term to the District 1 seat on the board.
Martin, who also serves as volunteer chief of the Amherst Fire Department, said the county is making significant strides in investments in high-speed internet in rural areas of the county, keeping taxes from going up and supporting growth.
“I think the county is definitely moving in the right direction,” Martin, 51, said. “I think we’ve got the right people in the right seats in terms of county staff. I just think I may have played a small part in moving the county forward so I would like to continue with that. I’ve actually enjoyed it the past years.”
On volunteering with the fire department, Martin said he enjoys especially working with young people and teaching them as part of his efforts to help move the department forward.
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Martin said he also is appreciative of ongoing efforts to support development in Madison Heights, including a master plan for growth efforts and community planning for the U.S. 29 Business corridor from the Virginia 130 intersection to the James River.
“I think that’s where our growth area is,” Martin said. “I definitely think this is the right thing, to see the county start to grow a little bit and gain population.”
He said the county needs to plan for the effects of growth on capacity in schools and utilities, emergency services and other areas. The board in 2022 gave zoning approval for two major developments that aim to bring hundreds of homes to Madison Heights, one on U.S. 29 just north of the Seminole Plaza shopping center and the other in the vicinity of the Virginia 163-Virginia 210 intersection.
“Having good places for people to live is important,” Martin said.
A resident of the Clifford community and a county native, Martin has spent three decades working for the City of Lynchburg and for than a decade has served as the city’s chief planner. A 1989 graduate of Amherst County High School, Martin has a certificate in local government management from Virginia Tech and also serves on the Amherst County Service Authority.
Martin has served on the board since January 2020 after running unopposed. The District 3 and District 4 seats on the board also are up for election Nov. 7. The filing deadline for candidacy is June 20.
