Rich Creek has a mayor and a full town council again, though some appointees may not be in office for long.
A Giles County judge appointed Paul Morrison, who has served on the town’s planning commission for about 20 years, as mayor until the end of the year. Christopher Thornton and Phillip Hunt will serve until a special election in November 2026. Christopher Wickline and Mikhail Mann were already running for town council and were appointed until the outcome of next month’s election.
Four out of the five town council members and the previous mayor resigned in August, as some cited a “horrible” working environment. Bill Kantsios was the only town council member who did not resign and still remains.
Former Mayor Anne Chambers was the only candidate on next month’s ballot, and she resigned too late to add any other candidates. So, Rich Creek voters can now write in their selection for mayor.
The new group met for the second time Tuesday night to set a path forward, which included a discussion on the pros and cons of dissolving the town and handing administration to the county, as nearby Glen Lyn did last year. Attendees noted a change in tone with the new appointees.
“This is the best meeting I’ve been to,” said Kathy Brown, who has been regularly attending town council meetings for the past year. “Every town has its problems. This council seems willing to work through those.”
Cardinal News reached out to Kantsios and each of the appointees to gather basic information and hear their vision for the town. All but Mann either declined to comment or referred questions to Morrison.
“This council is moving forward,” Morrison said after Tuesday’s town council meeting. Morrison said with the little time he has, he wants to make the transition for the next officials smooth so that “at least there’s a wind at their back.”
The appointees
Cardinal News gathered the appointees’ letters of interest submitted to the judge who appointed them and other public records to provide basic information about them.
- Mayor Paul Morrison, 57, has lived in Rich Creek since 1999 and has served on the town’s planning commission since 2006.
- Phillip Hunt is the council member replacing Stuart Helm. According to his letter of interest, he has lived in Rich Creek for three years and has a background in business leadership and finance.
- Mikhail Mann, 24, is the council member replacing Dorsey Bradley, who had been appointed to replace Joyce Crawford. In his letter of interest, Mann said he was raised in Rich Creek and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Liberty University. After Tuesday’s meeting, he said, “I want to be able to work with the people here, be a voice for them. Whatever their concern is, I want that to be able to be brought to me, and to be able to have dialogue.”
- Chris Thornton, a lifelong resident of Rich Creek, is the council member replacing Darlene French. According to his letter of interest, Thornton has served more than 20 years with the town’s volunteer fire department and the Giles Lifesaving & Rescue Squad.
- Christopher Wickline is the council member replacing Mark Clemmons. According to his letter of interest, he has lived in Rich Creek for more than 20 years and has a background in engineering management, and wants to bring his experience in “decisive leadership, conflict resolution, and accountability,” to the town council.
Latest meeting
The new town council and mayor met Tuesday night, which included a discussion on if Rich Creek should become an unincorporated community and disband its town administration.
During public comment, resident John Lovely told the town council he was interested in starting a petition to explore whether bringing all services under Giles County was in the town’s best interest.
“Taxpayers could use the money, I’m sure. Businesses would be happy to not pay business taxes. That’s my motivation,” Lovely said. He also said he and many others have suffered water leaks that the town has been slow to resolve. “I’m tired of paying for stuff that I’m not receiving.”
Several of the 20 meeting attendees disagreed and blamed most of Lovely’s complaints on the previous town council.
“Give this council a chance,” said Helen Swartout.
Alleta Morrison said residents should not assume that Rich Creek will get better services from Giles County.
“The county is not taking care of what it has now,” she said.
Chasity Wilson said she worries that if a petition is started, those who sign won’t have all the facts to make an informed decision.
“You’re only going to hear one benefit,” she said, referring to eliminating town taxes.
Town council members said they would consider exploring dissolution if Lovely’s petition included a majority of voters, but most doubted that would be the case.
In other business, the town council appointed Mann as vice mayor, approved a policy that would allow some council members to attend meetings remotely, and approved an employment offer to a new town manager, who will be announced if the person accepts. The town council is scheduled to hold a special meeting on its budget at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3.
For more on elections in Giles County, see the Giles County page on our Voter Guide.