MONTGOMERY CO. – Incumbent Supervisor Todd King is running against Dale Buckner for the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors (BOV) seat.
King first took office as a supervisor in 2014 and will be running again for the seat. He has served the community on several committees: Fairview District Home Board (alternate), Library Board Liaison (alternate), Chair of Public Service Authority for eight years, Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) (alternate), Road Viewers Board, and Peppers Ferry Wastewater Authority Board. Volunteer Firefighter and as an EMT with the Riner Fire Department for over 20 years. Additionally, King has coached Montgomery County Parks and Recreation football and tee-ball teams and was previously Chair of the Title One Reading program at Auburn Elementary.
Also competing for the District D seat on the Board of Supervisors is Dale Buckner, a resident of Montgomery County for over 40 years. Buckner is married and has raised three sons in Montgomery County Public Schools. He is rooted in the community as well through his local church and the support and volunteerism he has provided to the Pilot Community Center, a historical and recently renovated circa 1921 schoolhouse that was once part of the Montgomery County Public Schools. The Pilot Community Center, or Pilot School, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia.
In an interview, King spoke of his stance on tax increases in Montgomery County and his desire to support the will of the people.
“I made one promise; I will not vote for a tax increase. People are struggling,” King said. “I don’t have an opinion, my opinion is, the citizens are my opinion. We are the seven blessed people in Montgomery County. I get to represent the best district in the county.”
King asks anyone to check his voting record, assuring the people that he will not sway from his decision to avoid tax increases in the county.
Montgomery County’s District D is in the most southern part of the district, extending north to areas including Switchback Road, west to Little River Road, east to High Rock Hill Road, and to areas south including Little Camp Road in the Riner area (www.montva.com). Continued concerns from citizens about the road conditions have intensified with the recent winter ice storm the county experienced resulting in fallen debris from trees and potholes in the roadways. On May 12, the Supervisors’ regular meeting began with a presentation from Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) David Clarke on the summer planned roadwork for the County. Supervisors each shared roads of concern with Clarke.
District D has many rural roads, some of which are yet to be paved; however, King said that the county must work together with VDOT to stay on top of road conditions.
“If I had my way, we would not have a gravel road in District D,” King said. “I want to emphasize, we work with VDOT.”
A project King hopes will come to fruition soon is a safe route, or walkway that will lead away from the Auburn schools in Riner, in case of an emergency. The suggested route would cross Route 8, leading students and staff down Five Points Road to the Hillcrest subdivision. King said they are still working with VDOT and homeowners. “We work with VDOT and elected officials out of Richmond, and we are trying to get more money for secondary roads.”
A major milestone to happen in Riner this year is the opening of the Teel Park Recreation Center. A total of approximately 47 acres was made available through a generous donation from the Teel family, providing walking trails, a playground, picnic areas, and fields for many athletic competitions.
With the upcoming primaries for the Board of Supervisors’ District D seat, King will be knocking on doors and talking to people. “District D is my community, people say constituents, but I call them neighbors,” King said, as he also talked about future goals for the County, if re-elected. “In the future, the biggest thing to me is affordable housing, and we have been working on that.”
Buckner has also owned a residential and commercial construction business in the county for over three decades, which he says has been an avenue to build good rapport with local building officials and departments, including the Planning Commission.
Recent concerns from county residents prompted Buckner to get involved and make a run for the seat.
“I listen to people, and I have to listen to people because I work for people. Everybody’s voice matters,” Buckner said. “I am not a politician, but I just want to be a voice for everyone. I want to keep taxes low. I will oppose any unnecessary spending. I will work tirelessly for you, your family, and your future. That is the reason I am running.”
Buckner has a deep desire to make things better for community members. His professional networking in construction along with personal connections he has also made with many community members inspires him even more to make a difference.
“I have a reputation for getting things done and people know that about me,” Buckner said.
Primary elections will happen on June 17, 2025. Early voting is May 2 through June 14, 2025, with a registration deadline of May 27. Applications for a mail-in ballot are available through June 6, 2025.
More information on candidates for Board of Supervisors and other Virginia and regional primary elections can be found at the League of Women Voters in Montgomery County’s website, www.my.lwv.org or at Virginia Department of Elections, www.elections.virginia.gov.
