David A. Bosselman is a candidate for Suffolk Mayor. His name will appear on the ballot on November 5, 2024.
Bosselman is running against Clinton L. Jenkins and Michael D. Duman for Suffolk Mayor.
The first day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office for this election is Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. Click here to see who is on your ballot.
10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
Candidate Name: David A. Bosselman
Age: 62
Candidate Website: davidbosselmanformayor.com
Biography:
I am a lifelong resident of Suffolk (Nansemond County) and have been happily married to Audrey Page Bosselman for 37 years. As a fourth-generation farmer, I am proud that Audrey Page and I were able to raise our sons, Brian (Kortnie) and Hunter (Alex) as fifth-generation farmers. Their children are now the sixth generation of Bosselmans to live in the Myrtle community in Suffolk. I am co-founder and president of Bosselman Farms, chair of the Suffolk Agricultural Advisory Committee, chair of the Trustees at Providence United Methodist Church, chair of the Suffolk Farm Services Agency (Subsidiary of USDA), past president of the Board of Directors of Southern States Cooperative, and an active member of the Farm Bureau Board. I enjoy hunting, fishing, tending to my garden, and spending time with my growing family.
Why are you running for this office?
About six years ago, I started becoming more involved in speaking with our city leadership concerning the direction Suffolk is headed, particularly with the 2045 Comprehensive Plan. The rural communities of Suffolk have long felt as if their concerns have been ignored. The more I talked to citizens in the suburban and urban areas of the city, I realized that feeling of being ignored is not unique to the rural communities. I was approached by members of my church family and respected citizens of my community who encouraged me to seek election as Mayor to make positive change for our growing city.
What is the top challenge facing Suffolk, and how would you address it?
The 2045 Comprehensive Plan is the most challenging issue facing Suffolk. The current council has been bent on moving forward with a plan that expands on the already problematic current plan. The 2035 comp plan has allowed for overdevelopment and traffic congestion and has strained our infrastructure, public services, and our school system. These issues are negatively impacting the overall quality of life for the citizens of Suffolk. The Comprehensive Plan is designed to be the vision of the future of Suffolk. The definition of vision according to Webster is “an act or power of anticipating which will or may come to be.” Vision gives us a direction that is set with goals and a glimpse of life as we see it. This puts us on the path of living life as we want to live. The current leadership does not share the same vision as its citizens. I would truly listen to the citizens to help implement their vision into the Comprehensive Plan.
What is your view on preserving agricultural land while also addressing the affordable housing crisis?
Agriculture has been a huge part of Suffolk since the merger with Nansemond County 50 years ago. Land Preservation with conservation programs was supposed to be in place to protect and incentivize landowners to keep agriculture viable for the future. This has not happened. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite is taking place. Our agricultural land has been perceived as an expendable resource. As our city has grown, development is taking place at a much higher pace and is expanding in the more rural areas of Suffolk. At the same time, we are told there is an affordable housing crisis in the Hampton Roads area. We have that need in Suffolk, especially for young people just starting out or people with tighter budgets. New housing developments are being built without being in compliance with homeowner contracts. They create water runoff that affects neighboring properties. I will work toward developing a Comprehensive Plan that includes true vision and substance and addresses a balance between growth and management of open space.
