Tonight’s City Council meeting will be the first for newly-inducted Councilor Rob Schilling, and will also result in a new mayor. The mayor, who is elected by Council, serves two years. Our current mayor, Blake Caravati, will turn over the reins to whomever is appointed this evening. It is widely assumed that Councilor Maurice Cox, a six-year veteran of Council, will emerge as the new mayor. The meeting, as always, starts at 7:30pm, and will be broadcast on public access.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
four six and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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The brand spanking new Daily Progress website has a story from Jake Mooney which also describes Cox as the mayor-to-be.
Just by way of a follow-up, I attended tonight’s meeting (the first half hour, anyhow :), and Maurice Cox was elected mayor, Meredith Richards vice mayor. There was no opposition; each took perhaps as much as 30 seconds.
Anyone think that Mooney’s report on his interview with Mayor Cox was a bit “soft”?
I did.
I mean, I was looking for some bite, like “Mr. Mayor, you ran on a platform which called for the people of Charlottesville to elect a mayor themselves. You’ve now been put into that preeminent role in a non-contested poll of five votes. Will you use your new position to pursue your former pledge?”
Or: “Mr. Mayor, you say that you’ll work‘ to ensure this community that projects like the parking garage will never happen again.’. Well the University plans to build another garage for the Arena, another on Nameless Field, another at the hospital, and perhaps one on JPA across from Cabell Hall. How will you, as mayor, tackle the University’s eagerness to bring more cars into the City?”
Or: “Mr. Mayor, you say that your position as a faculty member AND city leader will make you‘ uniquely poised to form some extremely significant connections between the two.’ What in the hell are you talking about, specifically?!”
But perhaps this ain’t how politics and press in Charlottesville is played.
I’d also like to see a reporter interview Schilling and ask about direction election of Mayor (an issue on which Cox and Lynch campaigned) and further whether he would support DFC-ers Lynch and Cox in their platform’s mandate to overturn the Dillon rule.
[sigh]
Such a bitter old skank.