Melodie Williams, left, Lyn Widmyer and Paul Ashbaugh answer questions as they campaign for the Harpers Ferry District seat on the Jefferson County Commission during a forum at Washington High School on Wednesday night. (Journal photo by Ron Agnir)

CHARLES TOWN - Candidates vying for the Kabletown and Harpers Ferry district seats on the Jefferson County Commission faced off Wednesday evening in a candidate forum at Washington High School.

The event, sponsored by The Journal and WEPM, included Republican Frank Kubic and Democrat Patsy Noland, who both hope to represent Kabletown this November. Democrat Lyn Widmyer, Republican Melodie Williams and independent candidate Paul Ashbaugh, who are running for the Harpers Ferry district, also took their turn during the evening's event.

Among the many items that candidates addressed during the rounds of questions was the topic of zoning, a matter that has long been a hot-button issue in the county.

Last week, current Jefferson County Commission members voted to approve the county's long-awaited zoning ordinance. But those who are seeking a post on the board this election cycle all agreed that had it been up to them, the document would not have earned approval just yet.

"There are flaws in the document that need to be fixed before we pass it," Noland said, noting that at least three issues have been pointed out to existing commissioners that will require amendments in the near future.

Other commission candidates agreed that work still needed to be done to the document prior to its passage.

"It looked like a piece of Swiss cheese," Ashbaugh said, noting later that if he were commissioner he would like to see a roundtable discussion to figure out how to best address the matter.

But when it came to whether or not the issue should go to the public for a vote, candidates didn't see eye to eye. Four of the five contenders agreed that the matter should go to a referendum, while Widmyer said she herself would not sign the petition necessary for the document to be sent before voters.

Her opponents, meanwhile, agreed that such a referendum would be positive, with one expressing gratitude for the passage of legislation that enables residents to petition the county to ensure that a vote is held.

"I'm glad they had enacted 4511," Williams said in reference to the bill.

Noland agreed.

"I believe that the people should have the opportunity to voice their opinion," she said during an earlier portion of the forum.

Development and land use remained key topics throughout much of the night's discussion, though candidates sometimes had different plans for the county's future. When asked how development in the county should be handled in the coming years, Widmyer said that planned developments are "the future."

However, others seemed to question their necessity.

"I think there should be more development in this county," Ashbaugh said. "People's gotta have a place to live."

But Williams said there needs to be a plan for that development. She pointed to communities like Reston, Va., which were planned with walkable connectivity from their earliest days. With a growing population, similar plans need to be in place locally, she noted.

"You definitely need a plan when you have a population like ours," she said.

When later asked about the merits of impact fees, Widmyer said she supports them, noting that the school where candidates and their audience were seated that evening had been funded in part by impact fees charged to new residents, based on the increased demand for services that comes along with growth. Her opponents felt differently.

And earlier during the evening's discussions, Kubic disagreed as well, stating that impact fees are tantamount to a tax on nothing.

"Impact fees are a tax on hope," he said.

But land use and planning were not the only items discussed during the forum. Candidates in both of the evening's forums were also asked about how they would assess the county's climate for youth. While many contenders said they believed more parks and recreational opportunities were needed, Kubic stated that the best opportunity for recreation was at home, in the form of family.

"The government has no heart, it has no soul, it has no blood," he said.

An increase in the number of parks and recreational opportunities available for area youth is a key part of Widmyer's platform. The recent retiree concluded the evening by stating that while she might be "a mountain mama, I have the energy of Barack Obama."

The forums were part of a series of candidate events leading up to the Nov. 4 general election.

- Staff writer Naomi Smoot can be reached at (304) 725-6581 or nsmoot@journal-news.net