This is the third story in a multi-parties series profiling Haymarket Town Council candidates

Former Haymarket Town Council members Ellie Cole and Jay Tobias share a common goal: on May 4, they both want to reclaim their past seats.

Tobias served as an elected member from 2004-2006; the council appointed Cole to fill the vacancy left by her husband John Cole, the town's vice mayor, when he went to work in Iraq in early 2008.

The council selected her at the time over Tobias and others with the rationale that any non-elected candidate that planned to be on the May 2008 ballot would have an unfair advantage. In essence, the town wanted a place holder.

May came, Tobias did not win a spot, and he and Ellie both were passed by when two more vacancies came around.

This year, they're running on their own merits with the town's residents in control of their fates.

Tobias

When it comes to figuring out fiscal policy, Tobias claims he has the skill set to do it while others "may not.

"I know how to read a budget, I know how to control a budget," he said during a phone interview. "The town (council) seems to be lacking that."

He listed a litany of expenses including the addition of town staff members, like the manager and part-time planner, as "some positions that may not have been particularly necessary" as the town functioned before they joined the staff.

"In this time of economic downturn," Tobias asked, "what right does this town council have to increase their spending, hire new positions at the expense of the current employees?"

He disputes the notion that the town has not had to furlough or cut its staff, noting one part-time position that's had its hours slashed without being eliminated. He's also called into question how much of a financial boon Haymarket Day has been given that it's run over budget despite the sponsorship money coming back in and annual recognition it brings to the town.

"An abandoned town center property is not a reason for (visitors) to come back," he said.

Regarding developer Gerry Kennedy's $2.3 million plan to buy the town center property and turn it into a series of small businesses, Tobias advocates the town cutting its losses.

"First and foremost, the town needs to give up on the Kennedy deal. The Kennedy deal is a pipe dream, it's gone, it hasn't happened," said Tobias.

He supported the Kennedy deal when running for office in 2008, telling the Times that the project was "a very important piece to the development of the Town Center, as well as the financial stability of the town moving forward." His current stance would put him in the same position as veteran council member Bob Weir, the only member of council to ever vote against the plan.

During the last year, town officials have acknowledged that the sale has not happened as they hoped but have not received a comparable offer to replace the now-expired bid.

What Tobias recommended for the town to gain some money is selling the Harrover property where the police station is located and "perhaps develop that as real estate for residential" use.

"It's not the town's responsibility to develop it," he said. "Sell it to a developer and let them worry about developing it."

Tobias proposed bringing the police department to the Town Center property, and make the town hall "a complete municipal government center where everyone has space."

He supports annexing some nearby properties while mentioning the council balked at his support of it two terms ago.

"Now all of the sudden, it's the best thing since sliced bread," he said.

Tobias chalks up his re-election loss and subsequent finish at the bottom of the 2008 ballot to his former feud with the Haymarket chief of police, James Roop over ethics. According to Tobias, things are different now, the chief is not campaigning against him and as a council member, he is ready to restart his relationship with the police department.

Cole

Sitting in her living room for an interview on a Saturday afternoon while her husband discussed a project with the town's part-time planner Marchant Schneider, Cole recalled that when the filing deadline came up for council, it appeared like "there was not going to be six people in for the council."

After the addition of some last-minute arrivals, the school registrar found herself in a race where not everyone's guaranteed a spot. Citing her experience setting up databases at her job while being a "detail-oriented" problem solver, Cole said "I think that is a skill that will definitely serve me well on the council."

To her, the most important issue the next council will face is the budget while "maintaining the kinds of services the citizens expect and deserve."

As for how to budget, she prioritizes completing of the Street Scape project, maintaining staff and conducting "repairs on the property we have" with the Town Center property.

Given that the Kennedy deal has been at the center of the town's financial future, Cole said, "My hope is to hold out because I think that the towns people were very excited about saving those properties," referring to the four buildings around town Kennedy offered to move to the town center and restore if he deal went through.

Kennedy has not secured financial backing for the plan to date. Because of that, Cole said, "I think what I would rather is is actively pursuing other buyers," including the option of "listing it with a more aggressive commercial Realtor."

She added that Kennedy is a "business man" who "understands" the town needs to study other options.

Also on the money front, Cole favors annexation of properties like the Home Depot site west of U.S. 15, calling it "logical."

"Well, we're also patrolling it and taking care of the public safety needs," she said.

She said she would also explore whether the Piedmont home subdivision could be added to the town as well because "they're doing a lot of their shopping and eating in this area."

Cole favored keeping the 4 percent meals tax at its current level but does not necessarily support holding a separate public hearing to discuss that some money will be spent on items other than the Street Scape.

"I think at a minimum we maintain it where it is because I don't think it has negatively impacted the amount of eating out people do," she said. "I think that income is just so necessary."

One of her campaign platforms is a change to the way town residents elect their council. She offers that there should an election every year. In odd years, three seats would become available and in even years, the other three seats should open.

"It's very difficult to find six people at a time to run," she said. The current system has potential to "create a little more havoc and chaos than is necessary."

While Richmond would inevitably have to weigh in on such an idea due to Virginia's Dillon Rule status, she said, "I can at least investigate and see what the considerations are."