Tonight was the final debate of the Roanoke City Council election, an election that up to this point has been rather quiet… if not boring.
Well, tonight was anything but boring.
The candidates went at each other over taxes, the budget, school funding, and campaign tactics.
The debate was sponsored by the local chapter of the NAACP, as they do for every city council election. I have served as moderator of this event for the past decade. That’s five debates and I can assure you we have never had one with this many fireworks.
I know, this election has lacked a defining issue like Victory Stadium, council pay raises, or the amphitheater. And up until tonight, that has come across on the campaign trail in the way of low candidate fundraising, small crowds, and few substantive debates.
That changed tonight as it became abundantly clear the major differences between the Republican and Democratic tickets.
On the second question of the night, the candidates were asked to grade the current council’s budget cutting over the past year. The Democrats all gave council an “A” while the Republicans all gave them a “D” or “F.”
The tickets also disagreed on raising the meal tax to pay for education and over renovating the Downtown Market Building.
There was one point of agreement: there’s a need for civility on council, even though the debate lacked that air.
Still, congrats to the candidates for making their case, for putting themselves out there, and for trying to make a difference in our community. And, congrats to the NAACP for sponsoring this event.
It’s now up to the voters. Get out there and vote for your candidates. As a citizen, that’s your job.
Posted by Jay Warren at 09:34 PM. Filed under: main •
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