Financial reports of Williamsburg City Council candidates two weeks from Election Day

LISA COLEMAN / THE FLAT HAT

Tuesday, Nov. 5, local elections will be held in Williamsburg to select three candidates for the Williamsburg City Council. The seats of Vice Mayor Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey ’75, and Caleb Rogers ’20 are up for election, with Ramsey and Dent running for another term. First-timers Fraser Hudgins, Ayanna Williams ’26, and College of William and Mary adjunct lecturer Lindsay Barna are deep in their campaign efforts. Close to $100,000 of fundraising money is in play for this closely-contested race. 

Hudgins, a founding member of citizen organization Citizens for Responsible and Sustainable Development, advocates for transparency between local government and the community, maintaining the combined Williamsburg-James City Council school system and the expansion of high-density residential and commercial developments around Colonial Williamsburg. Hudgins has received $47,177 in fundraising with his donations primarily coming from retail services, public employees and miscellaneous donors. His top donors include Clicktricity LLC, Beth S. Covin and Jean A. Kennedy, with Clicktricity alone contributing $18,962  primarily in donations of advertising services. 

Ramsey plans to continue her term with goals of increasing job opportunities, enhancing the Williamsburg community by constructing a new performing arts venue, library and children’s park and keeping Williamsburg’s property taxes low. Ramsey has raised $28,933 in fundraising with her donations coming from retail services, public employees and miscellaneous donors. Some of Ramsey’s top donors include Robey W. Estes Jr., Henry C. Wolf and the York County PFF & EMS PAC. 

Williams, is running on a platform interested in investing in K-12 education, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing collaboration between Williamsburg and the College and ensuring effective communication between constituents and local government. Williams has raised $12,622 with most of her donations coming from Williamsburg for All, Grayson Horner and the City of Williamsburg. Williamsburg for All is a student-run PAC started by Student Assembly Secretary of Public Affairs Grayson Horner to support Williamsburg City Council candidates who represent students at the College.

Dent, former fire chief of the Williamsburg City Fire Department, emphasizes his experience as a public servant to push for increasing the accessibility of affordable housing with input from the local community and the development of a new fire station and library. Dent has raised $12,427 with most of his donations coming from public employees, retail services and miscellaneous donors. Some of Dent’s top donors include the firefighters of York James City County Poquoson & Williamsburg, the Williamsburg Hotel Motel Association and Sharon Marchelya. 

Barna, who lectures for both undergraduates and students at the law school, has only reported $95 received from one donor.

Tuesday, Nov. 5, local elections will be held in Williamsburg to select three candidates for the Williamsburg City Council. The seats of Vice Mayor Pat Dent, Barbara Ramsey ’75, and Caleb Rogers ’20 are up for election, with Ramsey and Dent running for another term. First-timers Fraser Hudgins, Ayanna Williams ’26, and College of William and Mary adjunct lecturer Lindsay Barna are deep in their campaign efforts. Williams and Barna are linked to the College with the former being a student and the latter being a professor.

Fraser Hudgins, a founding member of citizen organization Citizens for Responsible and Sustainable Development, advocates for transparency between local government and the community, maintaining the combined Williamsburg-James City Council school system and the expansion of high-density residential and commercial developments around Colonial Williamsburg. Hudgins has received $47,177 in fundraising with his donations primarily coming from retail services, public employees and miscellaneous donors. His top donors include Clicktricity LLC, Beth S. Covin and Jean A. Kennedy, with Clicktricity alone contributing $18,962  primarily in donations of advertising services. 

Barbara Ramsey plans to continue her term with goals of increasing job opportunities, enhancing the Williamsburg community by constructing a new performing arts venue, library and children’s park and keeping Williamsburg’s property taxes low. Ramsey has raised $28,933 in fundraising with her donations coming from retail services, public employees and miscellaneous donors. Some of Ramsey’s top donors include Robey W. Estes Jr., Henry C. Wolf and the York County PFF & EMS PAC. 

Ayanna Williams ’26, is running on a platform interested in investing in K-12 education, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing collaboration between Williamsburg and the College and ensuring effective communication between constituents and local government. Williams has raised $12,622 with most of her donations coming from Williamsburg for All, Grayson Horner and the City of Williamsburg. Williamsburg for All is a student-run PAC started by Student Assembly Secretary of Public Affairs Grayson Horner to support Williamsburg City Council candidates who represent students at the College. 

William Patrick Dent, former fire chief of the Williamsburg City Fire Department, emphasizes his experience as a public servant to push for increasing the accessibility of affordable housing with input from the local community and the development of a new fire station and library. Dent has raised $12,427 with most of his donations coming from public employees, retail services and miscellaneous donors. Some of Dent’s top donors include the firefighters of York James City County Poquoson & Williamsburg, the Williamsburg Hotel Motel Association and Sharon Marchelya.

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