CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Shawn Hayes and his wife had just returned from a summer vacation trip to Maine in June when they scanned the candidates who would officially be on the ballot for the Greene County Board of Supervisors’ at-large seat. A candidate Hayes had planned to support made a late decision not to run.

“The three that were, in my opinion, were more liberal and not from the county,” Hayes told Cville Right Now. “Not that I’m from the county, but after 30 years, they kind of adopt you. I just felt like I had more experience, I was more conservative and felt a calling that somebody had to step up.”

The problem? Hayes had just missed the June 16 deadline to have his name on the Nov. 3 ballot. He would have to campaign as a write-in candidate. 

Tuesday, Hayes, a recently retired restauranteur and longtime county resident, received over 3,000 votes, good for 36.1% and making him the presumptive winner. He beat out Jennifer Ziros (22%), Alex Salle (20.4%) and Jay Hunter (17.8%).

“I knew that many of the residents, they didn’t know who they were,” Hayes said of the rest of the field. “And we have a lot going on. They just wanted some stability and some familiarity.”

As Albemarle County continues to attract new business investments, Greene County is becoming an increasingly attractive option for people who will work at those businesses to find housing. That, while generating great revenue for Greene, will also stress the county’s infrastructure, particularly its school system. Hayes said population projections indicate Greene will need to build a new elementary school in the not-too-distant future. He said Ruckersville Elementary School is “busting at the seams.”

Greene voters rejected a proposed 1% sales tax to fund school capital projects, so property taxes will likely have to cover those costs. Hayes said he’d like to see developers pick up some of the tab.

“I liked the concept of the sales tax, because it’s not putting it all on the property owners then,” he said. “The 1% would have helped. But it was put out to the people and that’s what they decided. I’m not sure what the future’s going to bring but it would have brought in some of the money, not all of the money, to cover for the school. We could’ve started saving for when we’re ready to build that school.”

Greene has also struggled with its transition to maintaining its own water service. 

“The biggest concern is that the development is coming so fast and we don’t have the infrastructure, we don’t have the services, we don’t have the schools,” Hayes said. “We’re growing, and it’s always a horse before the cart. We need the rooftops to bring in the services, to bring in the money, but it’s a transitional time where you’ve got to break a few eggs before you can make an omelette.”

That’s why Hayes, whose late father, Dr. John Hayes, a county veterinarian, had worked extensively with the Republican Party, decided to jump into the race, even if he was getting in late. 

Hayes officially launched his campaign Sept. 15. Just over a week later, he had run out of his first batch of yard signs. 

He attended board meetings, met with county officials and went out to speak to voters to discuss the issues on their minds. He hit the campaign trail with his wife, Rita, and the family Dachshund, Tootsie, who Hayes dubbed the campaign manager.

He posted on social media explaining some of his positions, soliciting input on some topics and sharing instructions for how to correctly write in his name on Election Day.

According to the Virginia Board of Elections’ unofficial results, 3,054 voters did. The electoral board is now going through the process of reviewing those write-in ballots, but with a lead of 1,200 votes over Ziros, Hayes is confident he’ll be declared the winner this week. 

Official results must be certified by Friday at 5 p.m. but Hayes is expecting to get the official word on Thursday. For their part, Ziros and Salle both conceded the race to Hayes in social media posts.

“I want to thank the community of Greene for signing my petition to allow me to be on the ballot,” Ziros, a former Stanardsville Town Council member, posted Wednesday. “Thank you for your votes. Thank you to everyone who encouraged and supported me through this election process. Congratulations to Mr. Hayes.”

Salle posted his own concession message Tuesday night, telling supporters the election “certainly hasn’t gone the way I had hoped.”

“I want to sincerely thank every single person who supported me throughout this campaign,” Salle posted. “If you voted for me, put up a yard sign, donated, volunteered, shared my posts, or just took the time to have a conversation with me, I cannot express how much your support has meant to me and my family.

“When I decided to run for the Board of Supervisors, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I believed then, and still believe now, that Greene County deserves leaders who are willing to show up, listen, answer difficult questions, and have honest conversations with the people they hope to represent. I gave this campaign everything I could, and I have absolutely no regrets about that.”