By Aila Boyd aboyd@ourvalley.org
Chris Booth, a Botetourt County native, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Commissioner of the Revenue last Wednesday at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee in Daleville.
Submitted Photo
“Botetourt County has been so good to me and my family and it would be an honor to serve,” Booth said in a press release. “As a conservative Republican, I will work hard to efficiently provide great service to Botetourt County taxpayers.”
The primary will be held on June 11. J. Michael Griffin, a local business owner, is also seeking the Republican nomination for Commissioner of the Revenue.
Booth currently serves as the Botetourt manager for MKB, Realtors, a position that he thinks will serve as a good foundation for the one that he’s seeking to be elected to. He explained that a Realtor, as well as the Commissioner of the Revenue, has to possess a thorough understanding of property value evaluations.
Photo by Aila Boyd
Aside from being knowledgeable about many of the facets of the job, Booth said that, if elected, he will be an advocate for citizens of the county, much in the same way that he is for his clients now. He explained that a lot of the clients he works with are first-time homebuyers— something he doesn’t take lightly due to the fact that buying a home is a “major life step.”
The thing he most enjoys about working in real estate is getting to interact with various people from the community, something that he plans on continuing as Commissioner of the Revenue if he wins the Republican primary, and ultimately the general election. He added that he would also like to maintain the level of accessibility that the public has to the current Commissioner of the Revenue and his staff.
“The friendly atmosphere sets it apart,” Booth said. “Unlike offices in other counties, you can just go right in and speak with the Commissioner.”
As for what he would potentially do differently, Booth said, “I don’t believe in going in and changing things.”
When discussing his motivation for seeking the Republican nomination for the position, Booth noted that the idea of running for public office wasn’t on his radar two months ago. But after speaking with county Commissioner Rodney Spickard, who he describes as open, transparent, and available, he decided to seriously consider the prospect. After receiving positive feedback from others that he spoke with, Booth said that he decided to make the leap.
As a lifelong resident of Botetourt County, Booth said that he is excited by the growth that is currently under way in the county and would like the opportunity to serve the citizens of the county while it’s happening.
Booth said that as Commissioner of the Revenue, his primary goal would be the processing of “asset values as smoothly as possible.”
If elected, Booth said he will leave his post at MKB, Realtors, noting that he simply wouldn’t have enough time to do both. However, he said he would maintain his real estate license for use with family and friends.
Booth, a resident of Daleville and Lord Botetourt High School graduate, was accompanied by Botetourt County Republican Committee Chairman Donald Helms, Botetourt County Supervisor Billy Martin, and State Senator David Sutterlein.
“Chris has been a very faithful and hardworking member of the Botetourt County Republican Committee. He’s always been willing to help promote our Republican principles,” said Helms.
Currently, Booth serves as secretary of the Botetourt County Republican Committee.
He attended both Virginia Western Community College and Old Dominion University.
Booth describes himself as being “very approachable,” adding that he plans to knock on as many doors as possible over the next few months as part of his campaign.