WHY I AM RUNNING: Madison County is facing real challenges that will affect the way our County looks and feels. We are unique and we are proud of our traditions. But more and more of Madison County's lifestyle, landscape, and rural character are being eroded by those who don't share our rural identity and values. The question is not whether Madison will change, but how we can shape that change to keep the lifestyle we value; a peaceful, rural, caring community.

WHO I AM: My wife, Kathy, and I live in the Ruth area and host young foreign exchange students. After attending Temple University in Pennsylvania, I moved to Madison to start my business. I have lived in Madison County for almost thirty years and have been an optician, a small manufacturer, and a computer consultant. I am involved in and serve on the boards of several community organizations and projects helping young people, the elderly, and the environment. I created and manage a website devoted to Madison at:

I have:

Click here to e-mail me

  On Open Government - The work performed by Madison County officials and staff must be consistent with the concerns of the people served. In our democracy it is incumbent upon the government to hold meetings and dialogue in public. Also, there is the responsibility of the citizenry to get involved in the process of the government. Click here to read more.

  Subdivision of Land - 81 percent of the the approximately 760 land subdivisions in Madison County in the last 13 years have been of land zoned A1 (agriculture) and C1 (conservation). This trend is in direct conflict with the Comprehensive Plan adopted by our Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for the same 13 year period. As a community we must have the resolve to direct housing growth to those areas identified in our Comp Plan as appropriate for residential and commercial growth or we will lose the qualities that we have repeatedly said are most important to us - the small town and rural setting of where we live, our region's natural resources, environment and natural beauty. Click here to read more.

  Housing for the Elderly - Madison County has the highest percentage of long time elderly residents as compared to the other counties in Planning District Nine. We have an urgent need for housing for the elderly. Find out what I am doing to help the seniors of our community. Click here to read more.

  Economic Development- Madison County is competing with all the other localities for good employers. Economic Development is not limited to outside corporations locating new business here. If we capitalize on the resources and talents we have here I believe we can grow from within and prosper. Read about the characteristics communities must have to prosper and some of the ideas I have for economic development for our community. Click here to read more.

  Sludge - The sludge industry has been marketing sludge as "free fertilizer" to area farmers. While sludge does contain some soil nutrients and is a good soil conditioner it may not legally be sold as fertilizer. It is known that the heavy metals and other toxins present in sludge, even at levels permitted by the EPA, do not migrate in the clay soils of the Central Piedmont - instead they can build up in the soil to toxic levels affecting groundwater and the future use of the land. The Board of Supervisors needs to enact an ordinance for the regulation and monitoring of land applied sludge before there is loss of property due to the abuses of the sludge industry. Click here to read more.

  Bob Miller meets with Senator Kohl to discuss family farmers and protection of the environment. - Many states, including Virginia, have large backlogs of unfunded applications from small farmers seeking to participate in conservation programs. These programs pay farmers to put in place conservation measures to reduce runoff from farming operations and increase wildlife habitat. Click here to read more.

  How Much Does It Cost? - Now that the 2003-2004 budget has been adopted - read this to find out what county services cost per person and the percentages of county spending on the different categories of government. Here you can see the cost to you of county services like trash removal, Emergency Medical Services, or the operation of the county government. Click here to read more.