Former Roanoke City Council Republican candidate Peg McGuire – who finished fourth when she ran two years ago, one spot out of securing a seat, has announced her candidacy for the November special election that would fill the last two years of ex-Council member Robert Jeffrey Jr. Luke Priddy is the presumptive Democratic candidate. McGuire says she wants to roll back taxes, provide better pay and benefits for first responders and address learning loss in Roanoke City public schools.
(from McGuire’s news release)
- Fight crime by giving our first responders the compensation they deserve and the tools they need. Crime is up. Shootings happen nearly every day. Drug overdoses are all too common. Our first responders are on the front lines trying to keep us safe. We need more of them. Our first responders deserve respect, compensation, training, and the resources they need to protect our community. Our police and fire departments are facing unprecedented hiring and compensation challenges. We are losing our brave and dedicated community professionals to surrounding counties because we aren’t matching pay, benefits, resources, and respect.
- Help Roanoke families and businesses thrive in an era of high inflation and stagnant growth. Daily living expenses — fuel, energy, food, and health necessities — are rising. And they won’t come down anytime soon. For families, the City of Roanoke can postpone, or cancel, the $.05 plastic bag tax and roll back personal property taxes. For entrepreneurs, small business owners, and arts organizations, the City of Roanoke could eliminate burdensome and costly regulations.
- Address the learning loss of Roanoke City students district-wide. Our schools were closed longer than surrounding county and private schools. The school closures hurt our most vulnerable children the most. We need to give our school system the people, resources, and tools they need to help our children one-on-one to make up for the unnecessary lost time in the classroom. We risk leaving a generation of our most vulnerable children behind.
McGuire is endorsed by the Roanoke City Republican Committee.
