Six candidates seeking four available seats on Smithfield’s Town Council, at a forum The Smithfield Times hosted on Oct. 10, each said they were drawn to Smithfield, and inspired to run for office, by the town’s historic architecture and small-town charm.

Where they differ is in how they propose to accomplish preserving it.

Councilman Mike Smith, who was first elected in 2012, is seeking his fourth four-year term on the council. Incumbents Jim Collins and Raynard Gibbs, whom the council appointed in December to fill the remainder terms of ex-Councilman Wayne Hall and ex-Councilwoman Renee Rountree, respectively, are each seeking their first full four-year terms.

Challenging them are three first-time candidates: Mary Ellen Bebermeyer, Darren Cutler and Bill Harris. Harris is running unopposed for the two-year remainder of Hall’s term. Rountree’s was already set to end Dec. 31 of this year.

Smithfield Times Publisher Steve Stewart, who moderated the forum, gave each candidate two minutes to make opening and closing statements and one to three minutes to answer nine questions.

Bebermeyer, Cutler, Harris and Smith have each been endorsed by “Citizens for Responsible Leadership,” a Smithfield-based political action committee opposed to “unchecked development,” while Collins and Gibbs have each been endorsed by Smithfield Mayor Steve Bowman. Several of the questions touched on the candidates’ support or opposition to the influx of approved and proposed residential and commercial developments.

Bebermeyer called the downtown area where she lives the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to the traffic that may result from the 2021-approved, 812-home Mallory Pointe development off Battery Park Road and the 2023-approved, 267-home Grange at 10Main development slated for the western edge of the town’s historic district.

Cutler, who also opposed the Grange last year, vowed to be a “speed bump” to what he called “mismanaged growth.” He and Harris each said they oppose the subsidization of private developments with taxpayer dollars. Smith, who’d been among the dissenting votes in 2021 on Mallory Scott and in 2023 on the Grange, said he’d seen the town grow over the decades from 3,500 people to now nearly 9,000 with more on the way from developments already approved.

“I want nothing more than the best for this town. I love the small-town feel,” Collins said. “I’m from a place called Tyson’s Corner if you’ve ever heard of it up in (Washington) D.C. It’s not a small town. It used to be when I was there in the ’70s and ’80s. It’s not anymore. I don’t want that.”

Collins asserted that what sets him and Gibbs apart from the other four is that “we’re not a blanket no.”

“You keep saying no to everything developers and contractors will find different places to go and this place will whittle away because if you make it difficult, let me tell you, I’m a contractor. I’m like water, I find the easiest path and if there’s a place for me to go, I’m going to go somewhere. I don’t want to bend over and work with everybody, but I do want to make sure I keep an open mind.”

Gibbs said he too is originally from a small town – Cuba, Alabama – and was drawn to Smithfield’s historic character.

“I love the small-town charm,” Gibbs said, asserting that “those who say I’m about big growth, that’s not true.”

All six candidates asserted a willingness to potentially overturn a recommendation of approval, or denial, from the town’s Planning Commission, which is tasked with vetting rezoning and special use permit applications before they reach the council for a final vote.

Among the points where they differ is whether to uphold or overturn a 2022 vote by prior council members to commit up to $1.4 million toward building a structure at the Grange to house the Smithfield Farmers Market.

Smith acknowledged he was on the council and had voted with the majority to commit the funds when Grange developer Joseph Luter IV and his father, former Smithfield Foods Chairman Joseph Luter III, and offered land and $1 million toward a permanent market building’s construction conditioned on the town and county each putting up $1.4 million. But “three years from now things have changed,” Smith said, “and I see the value of it being downtown where it is.” Bebermeyer, Cutler and Harris also answered “no” when asked if they’d support moving forward with the 2022 commitment.

Collins and Gibbs said they were in favor of moving the market to the Grange.

Collins questioned whether the town could legally back out of the 2022 agreement, though no money has changed hands, and said he’s talked to the people who run the farmers market.

“They want a cover, they want protection from the weather, they want more bathrooms … the citizens want this,” Collins said.

Asked if he would vote to uphold the 2022 commitment of $1.4 million, Gibbs answered, “ I would vote to be fiscally responsible with the money.”

Asked if each would back Bowman for another term as mayor, only Cutler said he wouldn’t. The other five said they’d make that decision if and when elected to council.

Asked if they were pleased with Bill Riddick, the town’s longtime attorney, Bebermeyer, Collins and Gibbs said they would retain him in his role. Cutler said he would be open to a change and Smith said he’d be open to the idea only “if he decides to retire or step down.” Harris said he did not believe he had enough information to make a decision either way.