Roanokers go to the polls on May 3rd in the general election with three Democrats (Anita Price, Freeda Cathcart and Trish White-Boyd), along with three independent hopefuls (Michelle Dykstra, John Garland and E. Duane Howard) to choose from.
Also, running for Mayor is current City Council member Sherman Lea Sr., widely expected to win with write-in candidate Martin Jeffrey as his only opposition. Jeffrey failed to obtain enough valid signatures in order to be placed on the May ballot; he lost an appeal to the State Board of Elections after claiming he did indeed have enough signees from Roanoke that could be validated.
There have been a number of candidate forums and several more are scheduled for April – including one organized by a class that current Mayor David Bowers teaches at Virginia Western Community College.
In late March the candidates for City Council and Jeffrey met at The Park nightclub (Lea was not present) to answer questions on a wide range of issues. The grass-roots group called the Citizen’s Convention put on the event and a spokesman said at the onset that their goal was to “bring all neighborhoods together” in the city.
Duane Howard said he “got to know the neighborhoods extremely well” during an earlier independent run for Mayor. The Southeast Roanoke area he lives in is “plagued with drugs and crime … we need help from the City of Roanoke.” But, added Howard, “Southeast is ripe for turning around.”
Freeda Cathcart touted her business background (mainly in insurance) and said she wanted to see “one stop shopping at City Hall” for those looking to open a business in Roanoke.
Michelle Dykstra, who lived in Chicago before coming to Roanoke with husband Aaron, a custom bike builder, said she was “young, energetic, [someone] who understands business.”
Anita Price, a former public school teacher and counselor, said it all starts with the city’s youth and public education: “without those we have nothing.”
John Garland, the retired president of Spectrum Design who now renovates downtown buildings, turning them into apartments, said his goal, if elected, is to “be attentive and listen to what everyone has to say. My passion is making communities strong.”
Trish White-Boyd, owner of a small home healthcare firm, wants to “bring fresh ideas to the table,” also claiming that Roanoke City government is “divided in purpose and direction.” She looks to establish “a collaborative effort between City Council and the community.”
Martin Jeffrey called himself “a man of purpose, a change agent” and a small business owner, claiming past civic efforts have helped bring 33 million dollars’ worth of improvements to Roanoke. “We lack the visionary leadership,” he stated. He is also a long-shot at best with his “1 Noke” campaign to unseat Sherman Lea, especially as a write-in candidate. In the past Lea has said he wants to make Roanoke more inclusive while fighting to bring more good-paying jobs to the city as well.
Howard said he favored a “complete revamping of the city code,” which includes holding landlord’s feet to the fire on the rentals they own. Cathcart wants to update the city’s neighborhood plan and asked why power lines were not buried at the same time the broadband fiber optics lines were being installed.
Dykstra said the “tough conversation” about funding needs to be had; she also wants to train young people for jobs currently available. Dykstra said there was “too much segregation” in Roanoke.
Price said she wanted to make it easier to do business in the city; Garland wants to improve public transportation. White-Boyd said the city’s infrastructure is in “bad shape.” She also wants the local elections to be held in November, figuring that will bring out more voters.
Dykstra wants bus service expanded while Howard pitched an idea to ferry people from one end of the city to the other – via the Roanoke River Greenway. Garland wants a “hubless system” without so many Valley Metro buses having to go downtown to Campbell Court.
All six City Council candidates and Jeffrey originally answered “yes” as to whether they would support Roanoke in becoming a sanctuary city – although several later qualified that answer.
In summary, many candidates seemed to agree on many of the same issues; it may be difficult for some to distinguish one from another. Look for some intense door to door campaigning over the next month as three candidates look to separate themselves from the pack.
By Gene Marrano
