It’s a job that pays only $400 a year,

It’s a job that pays only $400 a year, the lowest salary for any member of a county board of supervisors in the state of Virginia. But despite the pay, Rappahannock has a list of aspiring politicos applying for the posts, waiting for the successful applicants to be announced by the voters this Nov. 3.

Most of the job seekers were at the Rappahannock County Elementary School last week: incumbents Hubert Gilkey and Charles Estes who are running unopposed in Wakefield and Piedmont Districts; Mike Massie and Lee Bird, both vying for the Hampton District seat up for grabs with Newbill Miller’s decision not to seek reelection; incumbent A1 Henry, waging a write-in campaign, and his challengers in Jackson District, Frank Fishback, Ron Frazier and Col. Ellis Bingham.

Only Nelson Lane, the unopposed incumbent in Stonewall-Hawthome, was missing from the podium. (And his absence brought out an opponent. The morning following the educational forum, activist Sharon Kilpatrick announced a write-in candidacy, citing her dissatisfaction with Mr. Lane’s poor attendance record as the primary factor in her decision.)

Moderator Douglas Baumgardner posed the same questions to all the candidates, rotating the order for their responses. Following are the questions, w hich were developed by Mr. Baumgardner, school superintendent David Gangel, School Board Chairman Beverly Massie and PTA representative Camille Foster-Harris, and the answers from the candidates.

Question: The state’s $1.5 million lowinterest literary loan falls $150,000 short of meeting the cost of the high school's capital outlay project. The deficit has left the