Carey Watkins - Town Council

06/08/2026

Tonight at the regularly scheduled council meeting (Town Hall 6pm) there will be a second public hearing on the proposed 15 mph speed limit.

Contrary to some recent posts, this is not a town-wide change. It targets two specific areas: the road leading to the school and pool, and a residential neighborhood with many families and no sidewalks. Both areas are regularly used by children, families, and people walking pets. Neither is a primary through-road.

𝐓𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝟏𝟓 𝐦𝐩𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟓 𝐦𝐩𝐡 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟗 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩.

What it does change significantly is stopping distance. At 25 mph, a car needs approximately 152 feet to fully stop — that's more than half a football field, accounting for reaction time and braking. At 15 mph, that drops to about 77 feet.

𝐈𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏𝟓 𝐦𝐩𝐡 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.

I hope you'll come share your thoughts tonight. Public input matters, and the council wants to hear from you — whether you support the change or have concerns, you are welcome.

05/04/2026

Many of you know I've been advocating for lower speed limits in residential areas long before joining Town Council — and many of you have shared those same concerns.

In April, I requested that Council consider lowering speed limits in a small number of specific areas where our children are most at risk. This is not about downtown — this is about the streets where kids are walking every day: around our school, around the pool, and through the Gray Hill subdivision, where families with children, pets, and no sidewalks deserve safer streets.

Wether you are for or against this proposed change, I'd love for your voice to be heard.This Monday (May 11th) there will be a public hearing at Town Hall during the Council meeting. You're welcome to come speak in person. If you can't make it or prefer not to speak publicly, you can submit a written statement to Town Hall and the Mayor will read it — or send one through any of your Council members.

DM me with any questions or concerns. A copy of the ordinance is available at Town Hall.

04/11/2026

Everyone is welcome to attend. Come join us!

Attention seniors! There will be a presentation on Monday, April 20, 2026, by the Wise County Department of Social Services about the services they offer seniors to help them live independently. The event will be held at the UVA Wise Oxbow Center in Saint Paul on April 20 at 10am in the Clinch River classroom.

03/26/2026

Come learn how you can be a part of the Clinch River Farmers Market.

03/18/2026

You still have time! Yummy smashburger!

Hey St. Paul! 👋

Tomorrow we will be smashing burgers in your neck of the woods for the very first time!! 😎🔥💪🏼

St. Paul Elementary from 11a-1:30pm

Share and TAG your St Paul friends!!

03/11/2026

I'd like to say a huge "thank you" to our citizens who spoke up about this issue, The Town of St Paul employees who built the , Town Manager, Chad Monday for driving the initiative, Tate Industries for the signage and the St. Joe students for their help with installation.

Together we made a big step in the right direction to protecting the wildlife at Oxbow Lake.

From Coalfields Progress:

02/02/2026

What's for lunch????

Soup, Grilled Cheese and a Brownie!!!! Perfect for a cold day.

Come on down to the Lyric. Only $10.

TODAY 11 to 2

Chicken noodle, Taco or Potato soup.

YUM!

02/02/2026

There is a Town Council meeting February 9th at 6pm at Town Hall. It is open to the public.

If there is something on your mind that you'd like addressed or considered, send me a DM.

Thanks!

11/03/2025

Tomorrow’s the day, friends.

A lot of folks have said they plan to vote — now we just need to show up and make sure our voices are heard. This election decides important seats here in Virginia including: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, School Board, and Town Council. Every vote truly matters, especially in small towns like ours.

Thank you for your support — and to everyone who’s already voted!

Polls are open 6 AM to 7 PM at St. Paul Elementary School and Castlewood Elementary School.

11/09/2023

I am grateful for all those who encouraged and supported my efforts to run for St Paul Town Council as a write-in candidate . Although the official numbers have not been posted. It is appears that I did not have the votes needed to keep the seat.

I am disappointed but not deterred. For me, this was all about doing what is best for the town with NEW and innovative ways to move us forward. It was about safeguarding our assets, questioning the spending of our tax dollars and planning for our future vs reacting to our circumstances. Too often it is the same handful of people setting the direction of our town with little to no input from our citizens. Perhaps I will be able to contribute more from the other side of the lectern. I give you my word to continue to push for more transparency and better communication from our town.

Thank you for all of your help and support. I met so many amazing people while campaigning. With two weeks left before Thanksgiving, let me just say how grateful I am for the town of St Paul and our amazing community. We are certainly blessed!

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