Sheriff, clerk and commissioner of revenue candidate forum

By CAITLIN SULLIVAN/Staff
More than 50 residents gathered at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center last week for a League of Women Voters-organized candidates forum for those seeking the sheriff, court clerk and commissioner of revenue offices.
Republicans Tricia Phipps, Michael Hall and Patty Denton did not attend the forum. Phipps is a candidate for the court clerk post. Hall is running for sheriff. Denton is hoping to be the next commissioner of revenue.
Court clerk candidates Lisa Andis and Mark Graham, sheriff candidates Fred Newman and Patrick Mannix and commissioner of revenue candidate David Henry attended the form. 
“The facts concerning indexing errors in land records make it impossible to research deeds,” Graham said. “The public deserves better.”
He said there are also problems with technology, proof reading and staff training in the courthouse.
“All of the people will be trained and certified,” Graham said if he’s elected.
Andis agreed that errors needed to be changed but she said she’s opposed to records being so accessible to the public.
“I disagree with using technology to let those records out of the courthouse,” Andis said.
She said she was born and raised in Washington County and being able to communicate with the public is an important asset of a court clerk.
Mannix leveled criticism at what he called “two tiers of justice.”
He said courthouse security needs to be improved. To illustrate his point, he pulled a small pocketknife from his pocket and said he’s unable to enter the courthouse with it even though there are lawyers in town who set off the metal detectors and are not stopped.
“Don’t let them blow smoke up your skirts, folks, because there’s a big problem down there,” Mannix said. “Vote fore me because it says equal protection under the law and I would vow to uphold that.”
He also disagrees with Sheriff’s Office deputies enforcing traffic on the interstate, maintaining that they’re more concerned with writing traffic tickets than catching criminals.
Newman, the incumbent, countered that had there not been a deputy out on his day off conducting radar on state Route 19 four people wanted in connection with two robberies and the shooting of a Tazewell County deputy might not have been caught.
Newman said his top priorities, if he is elected for a third term, would be tackling the prescription drug problem, identity theft and domestic violence.
Mannix said his first priority would be to enforce the law.
“If a deputy commits a crime he would not be allowed to retire and get hired in another jurisdiction,” he said.
Newman said there has been some turnover but that’s because “I don’t tolerate people who operate in an unethical manner,” he said.
Henry touted his experience and said his goal is “to serve the people in a knowledgeable and informed way.”
When asked whether taxes are going to go down, Henry said he doesn’t think so.
“The real estate will continue to rise so long as Washington County continues to be a nice place to live,” he said.
Later, Henry said, “I’m not a seasoned politician, I’m a native here and I enjoy what I do.”