Government and Politics - The Roanoke Rambler (Page 9)

Roanoke Changes School Funding Policy, Which District Fears Could Cost It Millions

City Council said the change will allow for flexibility in spending taxpayer money, while school officials decried it as harmful.

City Hall

Roanoke City Council Decides To Keep Property Taxes Steady After Vice Mayor Floats Rate Cut

City Council members on Monday rebuffed any effort to reduce property taxes this year, but expressed sympathy with exploring that option in the future.

Housing

Roanoke Homeowners Sue City Over Policy Ending Exclusively Single-Family Zoning

A mayoral candidate and a former city attorney are among the dozen plaintiffs asking a Roanoke judge to invalidate the law.

City Hall

Roanoke Treasurer Postpones Retirement To Avoid Potential Special Election This Year

Tasha Burkett, who became chief deputy in March, says she intends to run for the office next year as an independent.

City Hall

Roanoke Demotes Assistant City Manager. Officials Won't Say Why.

Brent Robertson, who also served as finance director, was stripped of his titles just as city leaders are finalizing a $379-million budget.

Transportation

As Roanoke City Expands Bike Lanes, Cyclists See Room for Improvement

Roanoke officials want to build streets that are safe for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. But the city's progress does not always meet best practices.

Politics

Republicans Enter Roanoke City Council Races As Priddy Stuns Party Leaders By Bowing Out

Luke Priddy won't seek reelection, while Nick Hagen and Jim Garrett are vying to become the first Republicans on Council in decades.

Transportation

'A Perfect Storm': Roanoke Bus System Has Major Financial Control Issues, Audits Find

An auditor described one finding that Valley Metro failed to pay contractors who built the new transit center on time as 'a big deal.'

Education

Roanoke Has Long Given 40 Percent of Local Taxes to Schools. That Could Change.

Roanoke City Council members say the city has pressing needs that could benefit from more flexibility with any end-of-year surplus.

Housing

Roanoke Ends Single-Family-Only Zoning in Bid for More Housing, Diversity

Roanoke joins cities in Virginia and across the country that are rolling back single-family-only zoning in favor of more dense housing.

Politics

Roanoke Mayor’s Race Gets Crowded As Moon Reynolds, Bowers Challenge Cobb

A victory for any would be historic — Moon Reynolds as Roanoke's first female mayor, Cobb as its first openly gay mayor and Bowers for the sheer precedent of a fifth term.

Housing

Roanoke Planning Commission Advances End to Single-Family Zoning in Bid for More Housing

City Council is expected to vote Monday on reforms staff say is aimed at increasing housing and decreasing racial and economic inequities.

Education

Roanoke School Board To Gain New Faces As Leaders Step Off

School board members Mark Cathey and Diane Casola are stepping off this June, while incumbent Michael Cherry II is seeking another term.

City Hall

Roanoke City Treasurer Evelyn Powers To Retire, Setting Up Potential Special Election

City treasurer since 2003, Evelyn Powers will retire with a 43-year career in Roanoke government.

Neighborhoods

Neighbor's Lawsuit Challenging Fishburn Park Cottage Sale Dismissed by Roanoke Judge

Owen McGuire, who lives beside the park, sued the city and a business run by Justin and Keri vanBlaricom in September.

Development

Despite Public Outcry, Roanoke Council Adopts Evans Spring Plan To Guide Development

The plan says Evans Spring should become a mix of big box stores, smaller shops, and hundreds of houses and apartments.

City Hall

‘Extremely Troubled’: Roanoke Leaders Called for Probe into Parks Director’s Leaked Resignation Letter, Emails Show

“I would like to see us investigate how this information was leaked,” the mayor told Roanoke's city manager.

Housing

Roanoke Proposes Allowing Multi-Unit Housing Throughout Residential Neighborhoods

Effort to end single-family-only zoning is meant to spur more housing, decrease inequities, city officials say.