Three people, including two town council members, have already announced their candidacies.

After 25 years of public service, Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam announced earlier this week that he will not run for re-election after his term runs out at the end of the year.

Rordam let the Town Council know about his decision following a wrok session Tuesday afternoon and announced his decision publicly on Facebook early Wednesday morning.

“I had been considering this decision since the start of the year,” Rordam said on Thursday. “I feel very good about where the town is. It has been a wonderful two and a half decades.”

Rordam began his service to the town in as a member of the planning commission from 1992-96, then as a member of the council from 1996-2006 and as mayor since 2006.

In addition to being mayor, he currently serves on several other committees:

• Blacksburg Partnership Collaborative for the Arts
• Blacksburg-Virginia Tech Liaison Committee
• Blacksburg-VPI Sanitation Authority
• Cemetery Trustee Advisory Committee
• Greater Montgomery Liaison Committee
• Regional Passenger Rail Committee
• Virginia Municipal League Executive Committee
• Virginia Tech/Montgomery Regional Airport Authority
• Virginia Transit Association Board

Rordam has lived in Blacksburg since 1976 and said he will continue to stay active in the community after his term is up.

Shortly after Rordam’s released his statement, three residents announced their candidacies: Ed Lawhorn, Leslie Hager-Smith and Krisha Chachra. Hager-Smith and Chachra are currently members of the town council.

Chachra announced her intentions to run on Facebook Wednesday.

“It is with sincere gratitude that I thank Mayor Ron Rordam for his over two decades of service to our community. After 12 years of leadership he leaves big shoes to fill and I personally want to thank him for being a mentor to me,” she said.

“After eight years on council, two as the youngest female Vice Mayor, I have received a lot of encouragement and support and believe I need to answer this call to serve my hometown. This is my next step. Although I’ll officially announce something when I return from out of town where I’m visiting family, I wanted to ask my community, my colleagues, my friends and those who have known me and my family for over 40 years in this town to join me in my bid to be the next Mayor of Blacksburg.”

Hager-Smith released a short statement announcing her candidacy on Wednesday as well.

“Ron Rordam has served the Town of Blacksburg with good will and great heart for twenty five years as planning commissioner, council member and mayor. He has seen this town through some of the toughest times it has known, and will leave us in a better place by far,” she said

“With sadness at his impending departure, I am announcing my candidacy for Mayor of the Town of Blacksburg. Now in my third term as Vice Mayor, I will work diligently to expand on his legacy of sound fiscal management, robust citizen engagement, and professionalism in all things.”

More information can be found on the two council members at www.blacksburg.gov.

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