Local Government, Civic Affairs and Education
Dan ODonnell- Roanoke
Roanoke County Administrator Dan O’Donnell delivered bad news to the Board of Supervisors today – a five million dollar-plus cut in the proposed operating budget and another three million in the capital projects budget, due to tax revenue loss associated with the Coronavirus. O’Donnell said the next fiscal year will feature a one-time “stop-gap budget” not sustainable beyond that without major changes within the county. It also includes a hiring freeze, a reduction in funding to outside agencies like Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge and a reduction in the joint funding program with Roanoke County Public Schools.
Many Roanoke County high school seniors woke up over the weekend to find themselves being congratulated in a very unusual and public way. School staffers and seniors fanned out to surreptitiously plant yard signs in the seniors’ front yards. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
Maynard Keller
Northwest Roanoke resident and financial planner Maynard Keller says Roanoke City Council doesn’t listen to its citizens – and that has prompted him to announce a bid for office as a Republican candidate. Council’s failure to vote on a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution and the decision to move municipal elections to November during federal election years were tipping points. Keller’s Council campaign platform includes creating a focus team of small business owners to advise the city, and solidifying Roanoke’s emergency management plan to address the current and future crises. He joins Peg McGuire in announcing runs today for Roanoke City Council on the Republican ticket.
Peg McGuire
The first two Republican candidates to announce a run for Roanoke City Council have emerged. Peg McGuire is a communications consultant who used to work for the Virginia Museum of Transportation. McGuire’s platform includes an elected school board, moving the November municipal election to non-presidential years and electing City Council members via a ward system. As for running as a conservative Republican in Democratic-leaning Roanoke:
Financial planner Maynard Keller has also announced a GOP bid for Council.
The Roanoke City Democratic Committee has selected Trish White-Boyd, Peter Volosin and Robert Jeffrey as its three candidates for City Council in November’s election. Committee members selected the three in an on-line vote Saturday, a procedure chosen after Governor Northam’s stay at home order disrupted plans for a firehouse primary. Luke Priddy and Stephanie Moon were the other two Democrats who had sought a party nomination.
Sherman Lee ran unopposed for party nomination for re-election for mayor.
Republicans have yet to name any candidates for city offices this year.
Kiesha Preston is running as an Independent for City Council, and former Mayor David Bowers is seeking a return to that office as an Independent.
Roanoke Democratic Committee chair Beth Deel praised the party’s ticket, and added that “[i]t is clear that Roanoke City has a burgeoning bench of quality Democratic leaders and a dedicated foundation of Democratic volunteers.”
White-Boyd, a Roanoke resident since 1984 who owns Blue Ridge Senior Services, was appointed in January 2019 to replace John Garland, who resigned from his council seat to focus on his business. White-Boyd ran for the council in 2016, finishing fourth in a race for three seats.
“I am excited … I didn’t expect to be the top vote-getter,” White-Boyd said. “It was very different to have to do everything virtually. I know that it was nontraditional and not what everybody wanted, but it’s the best that the committee could do under the circumstances. I am excited for Robert and for Peter and we’re moving on to November.”
Volosin is a Roanoke native and economic planner who sits on several community boards and who ran for the Democratic nomination for the open 6th Congressional District seat in 2018, but lost to Jennifer Lewis. Jeffrey, also a Roanoke native, is a publisher and vice chair for Goodwill Industries of the Valley who finished a strong fourth in a race for three council seats in 2018.
“I’m grateful to members of the committee for believing in my vision for the valley and look forward to continuing to connect with the community on the road to the November election,” Volosin said in a news release. “All Roanokers deserve to live in a place of opportunity, both now and in the future, and I’m committed to creating policy that shapes a bright future for everyone.”
Three council seats are up in the Nov. 3 election. Roanoke Republicans have yet to name any candidates. Kiesha Preston has announced she will run as an independent. Former mayor David Bowers announced that he will run for mayor as an independent
United Way-Abby Hamilton
United Way of Roanoke Valley set $100,000 as its “Phase One” goal for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund – and reached that mark yesterday. Today United Way announced the organizations that will share $60,000 of that first phase total. The 8 local non-profits are Feeding Southwest Virginia,LEAP, Kids SOAR, the Local Office on Aging, Franklin County YMCA, ARCH, Roanoke Area Ministries and Faith Network of Franklin County. A second phase of grants is expected by June and applications will be accepted through May 20. United Way of Roanoke Valley President and CEO Abby Hamilton was live on WFIR this morning:
NEWS RELEASE: Roanoke City Manager Bob Cowell has extended the closure of City of Roanoke municipal facilities to the general public until June 10, in alignment with Governor Northam’s Temporary Stay-At-Home Order (Executive Order 55), due to the novel coronavirus. Unless the Governor rescinds the Executive Order before the June 10 date, the City will enforce its revised extension.
The Temporary Stay-At-Home Order followed the Governor’s declaration under Executive Order on March 12 that a State of Emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia due to the potential spread of COVID-19. In response to that Executive Order, the City of Roanoke and neighboring localities took the precautionary measure of declaring a local emergency on March 16.
City administration continues to develop plans for the safe, phased reopening of municipal facilities once the Order is lifted, to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for City services and the community. While offices are closed to the public, the City of Roanoke is providing modified services to citizens, in an effort to protect the health and safety of both staff and citizens. Use this link to learn about those modifications.
Roanoke County high school seniors may find themselves being congratulated in some unusual and very public ways this spring. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
With the normal graduation ceremonies cancelled just about everywhere, Roanoke County Schools joined many other systems in preparing a virtual commencement to honor seniors. But Spokesperson Chuck Lionberger says beyond that, they’re putting the “public” in public education, congratulating the grads on billboards across the valley, and he says some stores are also participating by displaying banners that honor this year’s seniors
The Child Health Investment Partnership of Roanoke Valley – CHIP – has been assembling and distributing what it calls “survival kits” for the hundreds of low-income families it serves – clients now home bound for the most part with the downtown Roanoke CHIP office closed. Beside USDA food boxes, the initial “COVID-19 Survival Kits” as they’ve been labeled include activities for kids, cleaning supplies and other items designed to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Autumn Lavering is the Director of Development: