Heather Bell
RADFORD – Interim Radford City Council Member Charley Cosmato has started a campaign as a write-in candidate in the upcoming Radford City Council election.
Cosmato has been serving on the city council since August when he was appointed to serve in place of former council member Forrest Hite, who resigned. Cosmato says he has enjoyed his time on the council and would like to continue serving.
“The council works issues large and small and everything in-between to keep our city operating and moving forward,” he said. “I deeply enjoy hearing the challenges that face the city, the citizens, and all manner of work and organizational life pursuits in which they participate. Finding workable solutions and determining what compromises and concessions must be made to the best benefit of the people is a constant puzzle, but one I enjoy working.”
Cosmato said he had been approached by several people about running for a full-term and resisted at first but thinks he can bring some experience and perspective to the council.
“A lot of folks had been pressuring me to run,” he said. “They liked the work I was doing on the council and said I should keep doing it. I had initially said, “No, there are enough folks sticking around to keep the flame burning on current initiatives. They will quickly catch the new folks up-to-speed.
“But old Murphy (of Murphy’s law fame) stepped in and set up the council for a possible reset,” Cosmato said. “Even though we have staggered elections, the early resignation of a few members and one needing to attend to a beautiful growing family put us in a very unusual predicament. We could seat an entire council of folks new to the job and without prior experience doing the same job elsewhere with no mentors.
“I can’t imagine wading through a four-inch information pack, learning the basic procedures and protocols, or even managing the microphones without some level of experienced mentorship,” Cosmato said. “If elected, I will do whatever I can to help my new colleagues hit the ground running.”
Cosmato said that after listening to the council candidate forum held earlier this month, he feels he can add another perspective to the mix.
“I am quite familiar with the real issues facing Radford, from both my short tenure on the council and my long-time residency,” he said. “I bring a voice to the table that I think will resonate with a wide cross-section of community members.”
Radford Voter Registrar Tracy Howard says Cosmato starts off with a statistically difficult hill to climb, due to early voting and absentee ballots. As of Friday, more than 300 voters had cast an early voting ballot at the registrar’s office and about 150 absentee ballots had been returned.
Cosmato is planning a Meet and Greet this Saturday, Oct. 29, in the West End Gardens on West Main Street from 2 to 5 p.m. so voters can meet him and ask him any questions they may have.
The other candidates on the ballot for the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election are Kelly Artrip, Bobby Davis, Jessie Foster, Seth Gillespie, Janiele Hamden and Chad McClanahan. Vice Mayor Naomi Huntington will also appear on the ballot but has withdrawn from the race.
