Roanoke City Council members returned to their old political game in the Municipal building. Perhaps, the pain from the hit which was the first Republican Council member since 2000, Nick Hagen, being elected still hurts, but the majority Democrat members will strive harder to push their agenda in the City.
However, applications are being accepted for the vacant Council seat of former member Joe Cobb after he was elected to Roanoke City Mayor. Ironically, former Councilwoman Trish White-Boyd, who did not run for Council in 2024, is applying for this vacant seat.
Perhaps, Mrs. White-Boyd realized that she would not win again if she ran for Roanoke City Council in 2024. In fact, she ran for Virginia State Senate of District 4, in 2023, and lost to Senator David Suetterlein. Now, since there is a vacant Council seat that can be filled without election, Mrs. White-Boyd is willing to go for an easy way and occupy it.
In all likelihood Mrs.White-Boyd will retake the Council seat as the majority of the Council members are Democrats so they will indeed favor and push her application. Roanoke citizens are familiar with such biased favoritism by council members as well as the Mayor of the City.
Mrs.White-Boyd was not able to be effective and bring a change to the City while she was a Council member. Roanokers should be reminded she was one of the members that pushed aggressively for the five cent grocery plastic bag fee, which affected low income people and created difficulty for the shoppers in Roanoke City. Perhaps, Mrs. White-Boyd thinks she saves the environment with such a law!
Desperately, Mrs. White-Boyd strived in Virginia’s Senate election to win the 4th District Senate. No car tax was part of her campaign propaganda to influence the voters, especially in the high Conservative populated areas in 4th District. Ironically, while she was pushing for tax increases and extra fees, she called for no car tax during her Senate campaign. Imagine that. Evidently, the majority voters did not put trust in her as she lost the election.
Democrats in Roanoke City have manipulated people for many years, and now, as they have once again gained the majority of seats on the Council, there will be a smooth path for the members to pass any law they desire. It is very likely that Council members will fill the vacant seat with another Democrat or an “independent” who totally agrees with their agenda.
But what about the newly elected Republican City Council member Hagen? Obviously, Hagen is the opposition voice in the Council and the only member who will stand up to the majority. It is a critical situation for Hagen among the rigid mindset of the other City Council members. How far he can go and how much can be done are the questions for Hagen. Knowing the City Council members and Mayor Cobb, it will be difficult for Hagen to accomplish a lot. However, as one of his promises was to be transparent, Hagen can reveal the ambiguity and motives of the City Council members and the Mayor.
Is there any hope for Roanoke City?
With a small margin (29 votes) Cobb won over Republican David Bowers, but this victory was an strong message to Cobb as he expected a landslide victory. Now, Cobb and the Council members, except Hagen, will push for higher real estate taxes, more fees in the City, favoritism, less schools funding which reflects the schools programs that have positive impacts on children, and the preposterous zoning amendment will continue.
However, during the September’s debate in 2024, in Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church, the newly elected Democrats Council members, Candidates then, Terry McGuire and Phazhon Nash expressed disagreements to Cobb regarding many agendas and laws that he pushed for to be implemented, including the zoning amendment. McGuire and Nash represented themselves to be aligned with the people and promised to work for the citizens of Roanoke. Unlike Cobb, who seems to create issues, they pledged to be about solving them.
Now, McGuire and Nash are in the Council and indeed their votes matter. The question is: will they honor their promises and team up with Hagen to be transparent and oppose Cobb and the remaining City Council members’ unfair decisions in the City? Or will they renege on their promises, and as typical politicians put their Political Party ahead of the people of Roanoke?
The political skies over Roanoke still seem covered with clouds, so only time will tell.
Serwan Zangana, Columnist
