As of today, I have served on the Blacksburg Town Council for 100 days. Thanks to your support last fall, I have been able to lend my voice to the town’s governance to ensure that we offer a wide range of employment and housing opportunities, support our vibrant downtown and neighborhoods, take pride in our natural resources and cultural heritage, and collaborate with our regional partners.

The Town Council has been busy in 2012. So far, we have:

• Made changes to the zoning ordinance for parking, open space, and occupancy requirements in planned residential districts
• Purchased a downtown parking lot
• Approved a five-year capital improvement plan, which includes construction of the College Avenue Promenade starting this summer
• Amended the town code to establish a downtown refuse and recycling program

Since taking the Oath of Office, I have continued to serve on the Blacksburg Housing and Community Development Advisory Board and begun work on several other town committees. In recent months, I have sat down with the town’s department heads and spoken with numerous community and business leaders. I have also attended the Virginia Municipal League training for newly elected officials and visited Richmond with my colleagues on the Town Council to lobby our state representatives for changes to legislation affecting Blacksburg.

In the months and years ahead, Blacksburg faces many opportunities and challenges. I look forward to working with each of you to achieve a shared vision for the community we call home.

Sincerely,
Michael

P.S. April is a busy month in Blacksburg. Check out these exciting community events:

• April 17-22, Earth Week at Virginia Tech (especially Community Day on Saturday, April 21)
• April 28, Run for Raft 5K and 1-Mile Terry Grimes Memorial Walk
• April 29, Blacksburg Welcome Home Veterans Parade

When I first ran for Blacksburg Town Council, retiring councilman Al Leighton gave me a piece of advice: You have to meet voters where they are. They won’t come to you. On Tuesday, I won a seat on the town council after taking his advice to heart and reaching out to as many of my friends, neighbors, and supporters as possible.

I would be remiss if I did not thank each and every one of you for your support and encouragement over the past few months. Whether you knocked on doors, donated to the campaign, passed out literature, or offered your take on town issues, I am grateful for your involvement in my bid for town council. I would especially like to thank my roommates, Erin and Courtney, for offering their time to stuff envelopes and stand in the cold with my fliers; my parents for spending the entire day at the polls; Leslie and John for keeping me on track; the Citizens First volunteers who helped distribute my handouts; and everyone who put up a sign, wrote a check, attended a forum, or cast a vote.

Over the next four years, I will be an advocate on the Blacksburg Town Council for responsible economic development, collaboration between the county and town, sustainable land-use decisions, and neighborhood integrity. I look forward to hearing your ideas and working on your behalf in the months and years ahead.

Sincerely,

Michael Sutphin

Election Day is here! Over the past few months, I have relied on the generosity and support of many of you. Whether you knocked on doors or passed out literature, donated to the campaign, or attended a forum or house party to learn more about town issues, I am thankful for your willingness to participate in the democratic process. But I still have one more request from you: your vote.

The polls are open today from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Make sure you double-check your polling place online before you vote in case it has changed due to redistricting.

Together, we can make sure Blacksburg continues the progress it has made in recent years, experiences responsible economic development, values its natural resources and cultural heritage, and keeps its government open and transparent.

Thank you,

Michael Sutphin
Candidate for Blacksburg Town Council

Over the past several months, I have brought my campaign for Blacksburg Town Council to the people. I have passed out campaign flyers at Steppin’ Out and Gobblerfest, organized house parties and fundraisers, reached out to groups like the Environmental Coalition and the Mount Tabor Ruritans, spoken at town forums, and knocked on more doors than I can count. And I have counted on the support of my friends and neighbors who have donated their time and money to the campaign. This weekend, I was proud to receive an endorsement from The Roanoke Times.

But I still need your help to win. Here are a few simple ways you can support my bid for town council:

• Volunteer. I need your help canvassing in the remaining few days of the campaign and passing out flyers at the polls on Election Day. Even if you can only help for a couple of hours, I would appreciate your support. Send me a message to sign up.
• Write an endorsement. Whether you are a long-time neighborhood organizer or an old classmate of mine, I could use your support on the Roanoke Times opinion pages this weekend. Email me for tips and talking points for writing a letter to the editor.
• Vote. Make your voice heard on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Look up your polling location on the State Board of Elections website.

Next Tuesday, voters will choose our leaders on the Blacksburg Town Council. Let’s make sure we have a reason to celebrate on election night.

Sincerely,

Michael Sutphin
Candidate for Blacksburg Town Council

First, he represents the future of Blacksburg. This is an excellent time to elect a newcomer with fresh perspectives. The rest of the council is stable and well qualified. Sutphin therefore would have an opportunity to learn from experienced members and perhaps become a civic leader for years to come. … Second, Sutphin is just the sort of young professional Blacksburg strives to attract and retain. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 and has been a public relations specialist for the university since then. That means he still is close enough to the student community that he could bring insights to improve town-gown relations.

Check out the full endorsement on The Roanoke Times website.

Read what others have to say about Michael’s candidacy.