By Taylor Boyd
Chris Lawless’ desire to make a difference and be a voice for his community is driving his campaign for the Collinsville District seat on the Henry County Board of Supervisors.
Lawless, 41, is facing incumbent Joe Bryant in the election.
If elected, Lawless said he will bring his skills as an accomplished business owner, his open-mindedness, communication skills, and life experiences to the board.
Before he decided to seek the position, Lawless said he asked for and received Bryant’s permission.
“He gave it to me, and then he rescinded it for whatever reason, so now we’re in it, and I’m giving it all I got. Because usually with an incumbent it’s really tough, you know, if somebody’s been in it for 16 years,” he said.
Since deciding to seek the post in July 2024, Lawless said he has attended every board of supervisors meeting, several county strategic planning sessions, and become more involved with the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) by speaking with President and CEO Mark Heath.
“I’m already involved in the businesses — there’s not a whole lot in the county that we don’t work for, so when I say we’re heavily involved with this area, we are. That’s why it’s very important to me to make sure it continues to grow, because what I tell people is I want another DuPont. I want something that creates family wealth,” he said.
To help fulfill his goal of giving the community good-paying jobs and strengthening the area, Lawless said he wants greater availability and focus on trade programs.
“I don’t think we push heavily enough in that. Not all kids want to go to college; some need to come out of high school making a living, and some of them just can’t afford to go to college anymore,” he said.
“Now I don’t make six figures, but ‘if somebody” outside of the county is making six figures, “do you really think they want to come back and teach for a lot less money?’ Your heart’s really got to be in it,” he said.
Lawless also believes more business people like him need to get involved and advocate for local students by connecting with businesses.
“It didn’t cost me any money, and it’s not going to cost them any money, and they can even get some savings. It’s almost like a job application when you’re in high school, and they’re getting exposure,” he said.
Lawless said he would like to form a business roundtable made up of local, homegrown companies that will invest in the area to complement the EDC.
“And what can we bring in and what can we do as business leaders to help push this area forward? I think it just takes that communication and that collaborative thinking to plan to make it better,” he said.
In Collinsville, Lawless joined the Trash Pandas to clean up litter throughout the district. Trash and overgrown grass are two of the biggest issues Lawless believes the county faces because they affect economic growth.
On the trash issue, Lawless said the county should raise awareness and apply for educational grants to teach the public about its negative effects.
Regarding tall grass, Lawless said he obtained a permit from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to mow in the Collinsville area.
“Let’s say I can’t get the funding, Parks and Rec can’t do it, or the inmates can’t do it, then what I would even do is take this business group and say, ‘Hey, let’s come together as businesses. Can we make this happen?’ They’re more than likely going to pitch in because” many are involved in the community, Lawless said.
Until he can review the county’s finances in detail, Lawless said he doesn’t want to speculate on what could be cut.
Regarding the upcoming real estate reassessment, Lawless said the question isn’t if values will rise, but by how much.
“Until you get those numbers, we’d just be totally speculating. I mean, I wish we didn’t have them,” he said.
Lawless said he is looking for alternative sources of revenue, such as new businesses and industries, so the county won’t have to rely as heavily on real estate taxes.
“A lot of our buildings are empty right now, and we need to fill those buildings up. We need to get out there and attract different ones and get people working again and trying to offset that, because right now we’re hurting — our little area’s hurting,” he said.
To help attract new residents, Lawless said the county needs more housing. Because the county provides significant support for manufacturing, he suggested redirecting some of those resources toward real estate development.
“Right now, the way it works is when a developer comes in here, they have to purchase sewer, water, lines, the whole nine yards. They work to put all that in, so what ends up happening when they put all that in, they have to pay for the roads,” he said.
After that, Lawless said, developers begin building new homes, which often have high price tags as they try to recoup infrastructure costs.
“What I propose is to give some of that money for some of the infrastructure so that we can have these contracts come in,” and have the houses built at lower rates. “Then you’re able to get these affordable homes, and you’ll get a range of homes,” he said.
Noting the county has already placed many restrictions on solar energy, Lawless said he doesn’t think it will become a major issue locally.
“If the government said I had to do it, if they absolutely made me do it, if somebody says you have to have this ratio, I would try to incorporate it where it’d be hidden. Because it’s an eyesore when you come into an area like the golf course, I’m just totally against that,” he said.
A current member of the Fieldale-Collinsville Volunteer Rescue Squad board, Lawless said he’s heard several ideas for how to support the county’s volunteer agencies. “I know we’ve gotten a new public safety officer, and I’ve heard he has some ideas to bring to the table. What’s sad about it is that it used to be when a person volunteered, they could leave work to go help out, and that’s no longer the case anymore,” he said.
Lawless said he foresees the county needing to help volunteer squads offset costs with paid personnel, equipment purchases and replacements, and other support. “Our volunteers are important, but we’re losing them all the time. If we don’t help them and make them feel safe and secure, they’re going to end up not wanting to volunteer.”
Lawless said everyone knows he supports open communication with the public.
“I have no problem with telling you anything you want to know. I’ve been very transparent,” he said, adding that he believes the board should draw more media attention to its work and explain decisions to residents.
He also wants more public input. “We can’t fix a problem unless we know about it.”
He believes some recent changes in Collinsville happened because he encouraged residents to attend meetings and speak up. “And I encourage them to do the same thing with me,” he said.
Lawless lives with his wife, Brandy, who works for United Way. He has one adopted son, one biological son, and a grandson.
Since 2011, he has owned Lawless Welding & Fabrications, Inc. He is a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and holds multiple welding-related certificates. He also has an associate degree in industrial electronics.
In his free time, Lawless said he enjoys working and making money.
