Karen Lavarnway

Protect Fauquier asked: “What is your view on data centers in Warrenton and Fauquier? If the Amazon data center were to come to a re-vote, due to the litigation or other reasons, how would you vote? Also, what is your view of the process followed by the Warrenton Town Council to approve the Amazon data center? Was that an appropriate process, or would you work for reforms?”

Karen Lavarnway’s response: Ms. Lavarnway submitted two videos instead of a written statement. Since Protect Fauquier asked for written statements, and that is how other candidates responded, we transcribed the second, more recent video, as follows:

Hi, I’m Karen Lavarnway and I’m running for Warrenton Town Council, Ward 5 and today I’d like to talk to you about data centers It’s impressive that so many County residents and their friends have come together to support this collective cause of keeping Warrenton a special place and I too hold that same sentiment whether we are taking about data centers, affordable housing, tax rates, our sidewalks, or barking dogs, I want to let you know that I’m here to listen and I want to find ways to support your needs.

I’ve had many individuals from local environmental groups ask for my stance on data centers and while I have answered them through emails and other social media forms, I wanted to make this video so I could share it with everybody. So let me be clear. I do not see any other locations for a data center in Warrenton. People have asked what my thoughts are on the rest of the county. Well, between my firefighting career and my family, I think the best way to serve my community and my neighbors is by focusing on Warrenton. I’ll not be turning my campaign into my thoughts on the rest of the County or even other parts of the state. My loyalty and obligations reside with my ward and the residents of Warrenton. And while you may not necessarily agree I hope you can understand that as a small ward representative, I have a limited scope and a limited amount of time to be able to make a difference and I want to be able to put all that effort and time I do have into focusing in on Warrenton.

I’ve had people ask what do I think of the current Council and different decisions and votes they’ve made over the past three years and I would like to set the record straight. I’m not going to be criticizing or bashing the Mayor, any Council member, or any of the staff. They have a tough job and one that I hope to be part of very soon, one where I can offer a positive influence on what this town needs. Many different people are going to fill those seats over the coming years and they’re all people I hope to work with and make decisions alongside and right now when I’m going to start building those relationships, talking poorly about anyone especially without all the facts is mean and unproductive.

So many people ask: What about the data center on Blackwell Road. Whereas we’ve all heard there’s been lots of conversations, rumors, and hearsay about that data center and I was not a part of any of that, I followed alongside as best I could but in the absence of knowing all the facts, I feel like it’s impossible to make a decision.

And people ask me, well, what if the court kicks it back and the Council gets to vote again: How will you decide. Well, I don’t know. It depends. I don’t know why it would get kicked back, but again without knowing all the facts, promising a vote one way or the other is shockingly undemocratic and is not how a representative government is supposed to work.

There certainly may be reasons why I would vote no if it got kicked back based on what the courts determine but to answer that when if question without understanding the full scope is to pander to votes and that’s just not something I’m going to do. It’s imperative to remain neutral and unbiased towards any proposal until all sides of the story are known. It’s poor leadership for a candidate or a Council member to say no to any idea brought forth to Town. And that goes for any topic – building apartments, new roadways, even more car parts stores or vape shops. A hard no stifles the opportunity to learn all sides of an issue and it also stifles the free sharing of ideas whether they be good or bad. I think everyone should be free to brain dump these fresh ideas that could enhance our space while maintaining the small town character that we all love.

If we as representatives do no foster an environment where people feel safe to speak up and consider an issue from a different perspective well then we’re shutting the door on endless possibilities.

So that basically sums up my view on data centers. I appreciate your time if you’ve made it to the end of this video and I hope to continue working on getting your trust, your support, and your vote.