Editorial
Buena Vista, beginning the new year with a new mayor and two new members of City Council, is looking at further changes in city government. City Manager Jason Tyree announced last week that he is stepping down in three months, on April 6. Steve Webb, a member of City Council the past five years, tendered his resignation, effective immediately.
So, whether the time is right or not, many changes in leadership are taking place in Buena Vista. Much is going right in Buena Vista but daunting challenges remain. The city’s financial standing improved substantially a couple of years ago when it settled its golf course debt. Since then, economic development in the city has been on the upswing.
The most recent good news was an announcement that Modine Manufacturing is investing $19.6 million in an expansion, adding 57 new jobs and relocating its heating division here. Tractor Supply recently announced that it is opening a retail store in the former Green Forest shopping center. Downtown appears to be on the verge of resurgence.
Mountain Gateway Community College’s Wilson Workforce Training Center opened this past year in the former Courtesy Ford dealership building. The Junction 245 Marketplace of the Virginia Innovation Accelerator held a grand opening in the former Mundet-Hermetite factory building last month. Magnolia Town Square is nearly complete, offering a new gathering place and performance venue in downtown.
There’s no question that lots of good things are happening in Buena Vista. It’s undeniable too that the city’s finances are stretched pretty thin. The city was recently notified that its composite index has changed so that state aid for the city schools is likely to decline by an estimated $400,000 next year. Funding for the School Resource Officer program is set to expire. Tyree said last week that he expects City Council will begin its planning for next year’s budget looking at a nearly $1million shortfall in funding.
City Council and city staff are going to have their hands full as they tackle these immense challenges. The next big fiscal project is to be a major upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant that will have a price tag in the tens of millions of dollars. Another big capital project looming ahead is a proposed addition to Parry McCluer High School to house the city’s middle school students.
It was disappointing to learn last week that these challenges are to be faced without the experience and wisdom of veteran Council member Webb. He has served admirably as chair of the city’s budget and finance committee, helping make difficult decisions to balance the city’s precarious finances. His service has been invaluable to the city.
In his resignation letter, Webb expressed his view that the city’s residents were increasingly divided by religion – those who are members of the Church of Latter-day Saints affiliated with Southern Virginia University and those who are not. This division, Webb contends, is driving a wedge within the city.
We hope this is not the case. We are hopeful that the new leadership in Buena Vista, Mayor Jesse Lineberry and new Council members Stephanie Noel-Branch and Amy Gilliam, join together with the rest of City Council and city staff to work together for the common good. It’s a new year and a new beginning. Let’s make the most of it.
