17/09/2026
💰 MARTINSVILLE COUNCIL CANDIDATES TALK MONEY — AND THERE'S PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — If there was one message coming out of the Martinsville City Council candidate forum, it was pretty simple: the city's finances are going to be a major issue for whoever takes a seat on council.
The candidates were asked about their qualifications, the city's biggest challenges, the budget, financial health, transparency and what they would tackle during their first year.
And apparently, nobody needed much convincing that the budget is where the conversation gets interesting.
Charles Niederstadt said financial stability would be his biggest priority during his first 12 months. He argued that the city cannot continue treating every financial problem by spending more money or reaching deeper into residents' pockets through taxes and fees.
Niederstadt said he would want to review city spending, contracts, departments, capital expenditures and the budget process, with particular attention to what he described as unnecessary spending and fourth-quarter spending.
He also called for greater transparency, saying residents should be able to understand major expenditures, contracts, capital projects, debt-related spending and changes from one budget to the next without needing to call an accountant or lawyer.
His basic message: if it's taxpayer money, somebody better be looking at the numbers.
Another candidate, Sperna Tina Jenkins, also pointed directly at the budget, saying it was the city's number-one issue and expressing concern about taxes being raised. She cited her previous experience working as a legislative assistant for a Virginia delegate and said she wants to serve residents and get answers concerning the city's finances.
Michael Green brought a different résumé to the microphone, pointing to decades of experience in construction management, budgeting and commercial real estate appraisal.
Green said he had reviewed the proposed city budget, attended department meetings and spoken with department heads about their budgets and financial needs. He also said he had discussed possible solutions to budget problems with City Manager Robert Fincher and explored ways to reduce energy costs.
Then there was Chad Hall, who made trust a central part of his pitch.
Hall said he believes residents have lost trust in government and argued that the city needs professionalism, cooperation and balanced budgets.
His financial philosophy could be summed up in one sentence from the forum:
“You can't spend more than you make.”
Hall also emphasized that his personal investments and business interests are tied to Martinsville, saying he has three investments in the city and previously owned Taylor's Supermarket.
Mayor Jones, meanwhile, defended the city's existing financial practices, saying he has seen continuous improvement in the city's financial procedures during his time on council.
Jones also pointed toward economic development, housing and attracting businesses as part of the solution.
He said Martinsville needs to become more proactive and business-friendly, arguing that some businesses have ended up locating in Henry County, Danville and Franklin County instead. He pointed to work with the Chamber and the creation of an economic development authority, along with efforts to inventory available industrial and commercial properties, infrastructure, utilities, zoning and incentives.
Utilities and taxes also made repeated appearances in the discussion.
Jones said utility rates are a major concern and argued that residents should understand which issues are controlled locally and which involve state-level decisions. He called for working with state and federal representatives to pursue lower utility costs.
And then came the issue that tends to make government meetings suddenly very popular: transparency.
One candidate argued that simply putting documents on a website isn't enough. Residents should be able to see what was budgeted, what was actually spent and why significant differences occurred.
Because apparently, “it's in the budget somewhere” isn't exactly a satisfying explanation when it's your money.
The candidates also discussed economic development, housing, workforce issues and the need to attract new businesses.
Michael Green said Martinsville has potential as a regional hub and discussed his experience evaluating communities and determining what industries look for when deciding where to locate.
So, after all the speeches, introductions and campaign promises, the Martinsville election conversation appears to be circling around some very familiar territory:
How much money is coming in?
How much is going out?
Where is it going?
Who is watching it?
And perhaps the biggest question of all:
Can Martinsville balance the books while trying to grow the city?
The candidates offered different approaches to those questions, but the forum made one thing clear: the city's finances aren't exactly hiding in the shadows anymore. They're standing front and center under the bright lights of campaign season.
Statements in this story are attributed to the candidates as presented during the forum. Candidates' statements are campaign positions and should not be treated as independently verified findings.
