What is the chance to have fresh and open minded members of Roanoke City Council, including a Mayor in the Municipal building in January 2025? Members who listen to people’s concern and use less politics in their public services? Indeed, the possibility of replacing the Council members depends on the Citizens of Roanoke.
Control over City Council and the Mayor seat by one political Party often inflates the power, and undermines people’s concerns. And this appears to be the case with the Roanoke City Council members who clearly feel that they are a step higher than the rest of us.
Last week I saw one of my neighbors, and as we share the same concern regarding Roanoke, we promptly began conversing about the upcoming election in November. Furthermore, we discussed the concerns about inattentive City Council members and their locked mentalities. I said it is time for the Citizens of Roanoke to break the chain of one Party control and put some honest / transparent people in office. In regard to the Mayor candidates, I noted that Republican candidate David Bowers in his press conference last month focused on many important matters.
Bowers spoke about the regressive real estate tax increase in Roanoke – something that neither Mayor Sherman Lea nor the members of the Council have been concerned with in the past. However, my neighbor said that she knew Joe Cobb as they were church fellows. She said that he is all about himself and politics only.
It is time to evaluate the members of Roanoke City Council, and based on their unaccomplished past services, show them the exit, as the same problems continue to repeat themselves in our city. Evidently, the promises of City Council members are not carried with them through the Municipal building’s door.
It is noteworthy that today I took my entire paycheck to pay my real estate tax! Indeed, I am not opposed to paying taxes as they are needed for many good things that the city is obligated to fulfill. But the real estate tax is not in favor of the middle and the lower middle class of Roanoke.
Demanding solutions from the Roanoke City Council members has proven futile. It is important to realize that changing the direction of the City and replacing the Council members are keys for solving some of the major problems.
On the Election Day in November, and before casting our votes we should remember that:
- The current Roanoke City Council members have been in control for years without being able to draw a plan to reduce crimes.
- The current City Council members have mercilessly increased a real estate tax, which primarily affects the middle and lower middle class of Roanoke.
- As the current Vice Mayor of Roanoke City (and prior to that a member of the Council) Joe Cobb has not been able to find a solution for the City’s problems.
- In an unethical political move, City Council members unnecessarily created a second Assistant City Manager position that pays a salary over $150,000 from tax payers’ money for their friend, former City police chief Sam Roman.
We need new representatives on Roanoke City Council now.
– Serwan Zangana supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as a U.S Army translator before coming to the U.S from Kurdistan, Iraq in 1997 to seek political asylum. He was granted asylum status and years later proudly became a U.S citizen. He currently serves as a correction officer in Roanoke.