Steve Frey
At the April 9 Radford City Council Meeting, several people spoke during the citizens’ comments time.
It was refreshing to hear the positive statements about Radford and in support of the city council working with the school system to fund its budget.
One parent mentioned that her family purposely chose Radford as a place to live because of the small school feeling of unity and the quality of the educational program.
Another parent encouraged the school board and the city council to work together to find ways to fund the division’s capital improvement plan and budget, just as a family has to find the funds to accomplish the important projects they want to do.
Several teachers spoke to encourage the council to fully finance the school division’s proposal, which included overdue step increases for teachers.
One mentioned having to work a second job to earn money for a child to go to college, and another talked about having to think hard each summer about leaving the district to get a better salary.
All of the speakers spoke of their love for the children, the school district and the city.
They were passionately encouraging the city council to allocate the funds necessary to move forward with beneficial programs and budget needs.
Later in the month, it was equally exciting to hear some of the candidates for mayor and city council at the candidate forum talk about the need to increase funds to support not just school requirements, but other projects that will raise the quality of life, encourage families to move to Radford, attract businesses and draw more people to visit and spend tourist dollars in the city.
These candidates were willing to raise revenues to begin the process.
Next door to Radford, it was inspiring last year to see the citizens of Pulaski County overwhelmingly approve a tax increase to build a new middle school.
The people of Pulaski want their children to have a quality learning experience, and modern, technology-focused facilities help to provide that kind of education.
They also realize that a great school system draws families and businesses to an area. It goes back to that quality of life concept that families look for when relocating.
By the way, it was mentioned at the Radford candidate forum that Pulaski County is on a roll in enticing new companies to the area. Companies and businesses look for excellent quality of life amenities for their employees, too.
Nearby Christiansburg is looking to build a fantastic new multi-purpose park on Peppers Ferry Road. In 2013 the town paid 2.5 million dollars for the parcel, and when finished, it will be an enormous improvement for the town and county. Vision to spend funds then has created new possibilities today.
From Giles County: “Virginia’s Mountain Playground” to Pulaski County: “Orchestrated by Nature,” to Montgomery County: “Go to Town,” to the exciting art and music scene in Floyd, NRV communities are on the move. They are looking for ways to make their communities more attractive to business, industry, and families, and are committing funds to projects that will help that happen.
It was encouraging to hear at the forum ideas for developing, “Radford: Virginia’s River City,” too! Here are just a few of many examples.
City council candidate Naomi Huntington talked about finding ways to highlight and develop Radford’s greatest asset, the New River, and other quality of life improvements.
Another city council candidate, Jessie Critterton, who currently serves on the school board, shared specific development ideas the school division has in mind including the Southwest Virginia Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning plans.
David Horton, who is running for mayor, focused on not waiting for some future year but working toward making improvements now so that those businesses, industries, families, and visitors will want to come and build a future in Radford.
Of course, all of the candidates at the forum talked about the importance of bringing business and industry to the city, but some seemed reluctant to commit new tax revenues to the process. Related to this, it was mentioned at the city council meeting that the council met with a bond agency a year ago about the tax implications of implementing the school division’s capital improvement plan, but no action has been taken.
The new Radford budget was passed by the city council on April 23. Councilman Dick Harshberger was the only person who voted against it. It was reported that he complimented the hard work of the city officials who developed the plan, but felt it doesn’t do enough to replenish the reserves that have been tapped over the last several years to fund the budget.
Dr. Harshberger made an essential point with his vote: No matter what happens, the lack of funds and restored reserves will be a hindrance to future needs and projects.
Instead of incrementally raising taxes as some of the candidates suggested so that it will not be a significant burden on the citizens at one time, especially those on fixed incomes, the council chose to pass the budget through some one-time cost-cutting measures and by raising the electric rate 1.5%.
The approximately 23 million dollars in basic school district capital needs were left unfunded. That does not include the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, which would add about 6 million to that amount.
The Radford vote for mayor, city council, and school board seats is this coming Tuesday, May 1.
The Radford Chamber of Commerce recorded the city council and school board forums, so you can hear the candidates respond directly to various questions on its website. Keep an open mind and remember, all of the people running want to help the city, but who has the best ideas for putting in motion economic strategies that will immediately begin attracting businesses, families, and tourism?
There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Many people in Radford feel that the time to start improving the schools, improving the quality of life, improving the infrastructure, and developing resources is now, not two or three years from now with the hope that some big business will move in and provide resources.
Many in Radford believe the plan should have started a few years ago when holes in the budget had to be filled with reserves. If money had been raised and plans formulated, many of the improvements would already be in place, attracting those businesses and people to come and, yes, bringing with them jobs, taxes, and buying power.
In any case, it is great to see that there are several positive, forward-thinking people willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work to support the city by making the hard decisions that are necessary for success.
They have ideas and plans that will make Radford an even more vibrant city than it already is and a place that others who move in will love, too.
Again, listen to the audio recordings of the forums to really get to know the candidates and their positions and then vote!
Senator Robert F. Kennedy paraphrased George Bernard Shaw when he said, “Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not.”
Next Tuesday, you will have the chance to choose candidates who have that kind of vision and the ideas to create the flourishing city everyone hopes for—now.
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
