Bruce Tyler creates drama for Baliles’ mama

It seems that mothers are no longer off limits in the Shockoe stadium fray.

February 26, 2014; 11:52 AM • by Nathan Cushing

According to Style, the former councilman had strong words with Jon Baliles’ mother (and former Virginia First Lady), Jeannie, after last week’s public meeting to discuss the Mayor’s Shockoe stadium proposal:

Tyler was heated, says Peggy Baggett, a neighbor of Jeannie Baliles who attended the meeting with her and witnessed the encounter. “He was demanding that she get Jon to stand up and vote for the proposal,” she says. “He finally stomped off.”

Tyler, who came out in strong support of the mayor’s proposal at the meeting, doesn’t dispute that the conversation occurred. But he suggests the tenor of the exchange wasn’t out of line with his past interactions with Jeannie Baliles.

“Some people may have seen it as heated,” Tyler says. “But knowing Mrs. Baliles, I consider it a normal conversation.”

Councilman Baliles would prefer his mother not be a sounding board in contentious political discussions: “If Mr. Tyler wants to tell me what he thinks then he should come to me rather than attack my mother,” Baliles said.