Did you know that Roanoke City has an election next Tuesday? If not, you’re certainly not alone.
In my 12 years in Roanoke, this is by far the lowest profile, least exciting City Council election I’ve witnessed. No question!
Where are the issues? There’s no Victory Stadium, no amphitheater, no Darlene Burcham, no water shortage, no council member pay raise, no scandal. Nothing.
Sure, there’s the budget and the latest round of cuts, but that’s a pain felt from the federal level down. Roanoke’s problems aren’t isolated. Sure, there’s a need job development and business recruitment, but that’s hardly a sexy issue to generate passion on either side of the issue. And sure, there’s a need for downtown investment, but when there’s no money that’s a tough thing to tackle.
Truly, this is a quiet election. But, that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. All elections matter. Seven candidates have put their name of the ballot and are competing to fill three seats. They’ll serve for four years when countless important decisions will be made.
So, don’t let the lack of issues right now lull you into complacency. It’s important that you be educated on the candidates and their vision for Roanoke.
Tomorrow night, you’ll get the chance to do just that. The local chapter of the NAACP will host it’s candidate debate. It’s at 6:30pm at the Claude Moore Center at the Roanoke Higher Ed Center and I’ll be serving as moderator. I hope to see you there.
Posted by Jay Warren at 04:15 PM. Filed under: main •
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