Dear Friend,
It’s been a busy month as summer winds up and the new school year begins. I continue to work on your behalf, preparing for the upcoming legislative session and attending events important to our district.
In this end of month update, I’d like to share with you a few important items that I hope will be of interest to you and your family. Feel free to share any of this information with your neighbors that may be interested.
House Page Program
Applications for the House Page Program are now open!
Each session, the Speaker appoints a host of 13 and 14 year old students to serve as pages. During the course of the legislative session, pages will assist both Delegates and the Clerk’s office with the daily operations of the House while getting a front row seat to the lawmaking process.
Pages live in Richmond during the legislative session under the close supervision of our page coordinators. With the assistance of tutors, pages are expected to keep up with their academic assignments while away from their regular schools.
Click here for more information and to access the House (and Senate) applications. Applications must be submitted to the Speaker’s office by Monday, October 31st.
Upcoming Elections
Labor Day traditionally marks the beginning of campaign season here in Virginia, and that means that early voting is just around the corner. Starting Friday, September 23rd, Virginians can cast their ballots during in-person early voting. The early voting period ends Saturday, November 5th.
Here’s where you can vote early:
Colonial Heights
City Hall (201 James Ave, Colonial Heights, VA 23834)
Monday through Friday, 9-5
Chesterfield
General Registrar’s Office (9848 Lori Rd, Chesterfield, VA 23832)
Monday through Friday, 8:30-5
Both Colonial Heights and Chesterfield will have early voting on Saturday, October 25th and Saturday, November 5th. Chesterfield will have additional satellite locations to be announced.
As a reminder, you must be registered in order to vote in Virginia. The deadline to register is Monday, October 17th. If you aren’t registered or need to update your address, you can do so quickly and securely online here: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/Registration/Eligibility
Chesterfield Bond Referendum Public Meetings
Chesterfield voters will weigh in on a $540 million bond referendum on this year’s ballot. If adopted by county voters, the bond will fund a number of public projects, including new schools and fire stations.
As part of the public engagement process, Chesterfield will host a series of public meetings to answer questions about the ballot initiative. I encourage you to drop by one of these in-person or online forums to learn more about the bond proposal.
- Sep. 6, 2022 – Clover Hill at CTC Hull Street
- Sep. 8, 2022 – Bermuda at Thomas Dale High School
- Sep. 12, 2022 – Matoaca at Manchester High School
- Sep. 14, 2022 – Midlothian at Midlothian Middle School
- Sep. 15, 2022 – Facebook Live Event
- Sep. 19, 2022 – Dale at Meadowdale Library
- Sep. 20, 2022 – Matoaca at Ettrick-Matoaca Library
- Oct. 17, 2022 – Facebook Live Event
To view more information about the bond proposal, you can also visit https://chesterfield.gov/bond.
Chesterfield County Fair
There’s no better way to say goodbye to summer than with a trip to the fair! I’ve enjoyed spending some time at the Chesterfield County Fair and sampling the many fried foods. Governor Youngkin and Congressman Wittman even dropped by!
If you haven’t made it out, I encourage you to drop by the fairgrounds! The fair is in town until September 3rd. You can view a lineup of some of the special events taking place by clicking here.
Around the District
I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to attend events throughout our community over the past several weeks.
In early August, I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Chesterfield Recovery Academy. This new school is unique among area public schools in that it will provide students with the ability to obtain substance abuse counseling while ensuring they do not fall behind in their studies. The Academy will be open not only to Chesterfield students, but those across the Richmond and Southside regions.
You can learn more about the new school by clicking here.
Chesterfield also celebrated National Night Out earlier this month. I enjoyed dropping by several block parties across the county and thanking our police officers for the work they do in our communities.
And to wrap out the month, I was glad to be on hand as we officially welcomed Carvana to Chesterfield County. This new facility is part of a $25 million investment that will support 400 jobs–150 of which have already been created. The facility will be over 190,000 square feet and host 10,000 vehicles that will be sold online throughout the nation.
In the News
Here’s a few news articles that you may find of interest:
- Virginians are getting tax rebates of up to $250 per person. Here’s how it works.
- Youngkin to set aside nearly $400 million for new tax relief in next budget
- Joe McNamara column: Virginia is in need of — and ready for — further tax relief
- Michael Webert column: Virginians need policies that help cut energy costs
It’s an honor to represent our community in the House of Delegates. If I can ever assist you or your family with a state-related matter, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Mike Cherry