Editors’ Note: The Ring-tum Phi’s local editor was a moderator for this event. In the interest of fair, unbiased coverage, he recused himself from editing this article.
Three local officials answered questions on policing, taxes and federal enforcement on Feb. 17 during the “Know Your Rights” event. The panel featured Rockbridge County Sheriff Tony McFaddin, Lexington City Manager Tom Carroll and Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors Member Steve Hart.
The event, which was held in Stackhouse Theater, was organized by Laura Murambadoro, ’26, and Joshua Davidson, ’28. Both students serve as Democracy Fellows for the Campus Vote Project, which is a program that encourages voting education and participation amongst college students.
Murambadoro said the panel’s goal was to connect students with the officials that shape and enforce local policy.
“I’ve always been passionate about getting people to vote,” Murambadoro said. “However, I think that one thing that gets overlooked is the process of providing people in our age range with the opportunities to learn about the policies that come from those who hold office.”
The speakers began by talking about the challenges public officials face in Lexington and Rockbridge County.
Carroll said the city’s biggest issue is finances. Because Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute are tax-exempt, Lexington operates on a limited portion of its overall property value. The majority of the town’s tax base, which is the combined value of all taxable properties in the area, is tax-exempt due to these universities.
“Lexington has a $2.1 billion property tax base,” Carroll said. “But we govern and run the city on a $700 million base, which is about a third of what is here.”
As a result, the city relies heavily on consumption taxes generated by spending at local businesses. Carroll encouraged the audience to support local shops during the rest of their time in Lexington.
McFaddin identified drug-related issues as the city’s greatest safety concern.
“The drugs create many issues,” he said. “Almost all crimes that are reported to us have some type of drug related to somebody involved.”
He also said that drug-related issues require the greatest amount of time and attention within the local police department due to their prevalence.
The panel also addressed law enforcement training and racial bias. Carroll acknowledged national concerns about unequal application of force. Concerns regarding racial profiling within law enforcement have gotten widespread attention in recent years, especially following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“I can’t look at the data in our country and reach a conclusion other than that there is a racial bias in how we enforce laws,” he said. “We need to hire great people and give them the training and resources that they need.”
McFaddin emphasized that he practices the skills from his training through his interaction with local residents. From traffic stops to conversations with community members, he said he works to fight against racial profiling and the unequal application of force within his work.
After the law enforcement discussion, Hart framed civic participation as a shared responsibility. He encouraged audience members to become more politically active.
At the end of the panel, the floor opened for students and attendees to ask questions.
Many students asked about the noise ordinance enforcement in neighborhoods with student housing. McFaddin said his office works directly with Washington and Lee through the Campus Community Coalition to resolve issues before issuing citations.
He explained that within the Campus Community Coalition, deans and student leaders meet with local law enforcement regularly and directly discuss issues, including the noise ordinance.
Questions later shifted to how the town would respond if federal agents entered Lexington. Federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have made national news in recent months for entering towns and aggressively enforcing policy.
McFaddin explained that his office regularly works with federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when needed, but in the case of an agency such as ICE entering town, he said residents would be protected. He said that the town would not detain an individual on an immigration charge.
Students in attendance said the panel provided information about how both the city and county operate.
Charles Boardman, ’28, said he never considered how much the town relies on student spending. He also said that the event gave him new insights about the community.
“It can be easy for a college and local community, especially a rural one, to feel distant and too culturally separate to understand each other,” he said. “I think it’s very important when people from different kinds of regions understand each other better.”
