BLACKSBURG, Va. – Blacksburg residents voiced mixed reactions Tuesday night during a public hearing about two potential interim town council members, as the governing body seeks to restore stability following recent upheaval.
The council is working to fill two vacant seats — one left by Michael Sutphin, who was recently elected mayor, and another by former Councilman Liam Watson, who resigned after being found guilty of election fraud. Town officials have identified Joel Goodhart and Andrew Kassoff as candidates for the interim positions.
“There’s been certainly a lot of headlines about the town of Blacksburg recently,” Mayor Sutphin said. “I’ve been joking with folks that I want to make Blacksburg boring again.”
Public Divided Over Selections
During the public comment period, several residents expressed opposition to the council’s proposed appointments. Some advocated for Rick Johnson, who lost to Watson in the 2023 election, and Pete Macedo, a former mayoral candidate, to be appointed instead.
However, other citizens spoke in support of the council’s selection, particularly endorsing Goodhart. Council member Darryl Campbell backed the proposed appointments, saying, “We have to make sure we have different leaders and ideas that also roll with those changes. So I’m very excited to have or well to be able to consider Joel and Andrew for the position.”
Controversy Surfaces
Johnson, who confirmed he had submitted an application for consideration, appeared at the hearing and raised allegations about council members’ potential knowledge of Watson’s election fraud. However, no evidence from Watson’s trial supports these claims, and no other council members were indicted. Johnson and several supporters left the meeting immediately following his comments.
Macedo indicated that while he had heard his name was submitted to council, he had not received any communication about being considered for the position.
Next Steps
Mayor Sutphin addressed the selection process, stating, “We had multiple individuals came forward when it was apparent that we would have two openings on the Town Council. So we discussed all of the options that had been presented to us and we kind of landed on these two names.”
Campbell emphasized that the decisions weren’t final, noting, “We still have the vote that we’ll be doing on the 27th. So there’s still a chance for us to reconsider anybody that was mentioned today.”
The Blacksburg Town Council will meet on January 27 to officially appoint the interim members, who will serve until November 2026.