Municipal maintenance issues can sometimes be swept under the rug as city officials deal with more pressing matters. But the new administration in Roanoke, Va., decided it was time to make a plan to address these issues and received approval for a two-tiered approach: an increase in the food and beverage tax and a $25 million bond to be used as a line of credit.
Mayor Joseph Cobb told The Municipalthat both he and the new city manager, Valmarie Turner, started in their positions at the same time about a year ago, but prior to becoming mayor, Cobb was on the city council since 2018.
“It all started with an evaluation of both our capital assets and our capital needs,” he said. This included an analysis of their asset’s deferred maintenance, with Cobb noting, “And we came up with a pretty hefty list of things that needed to be repaired or replaced.”…