In an organizational meeting Tuesday evening, Staunton City Council elected Michele Edwards as mayor and Brad Arrowood as vice mayor.
Edwards and Arrowood will serve the positions for two years.
At the end of the meeting, council member Alice Woods congratulated both and council’s new members: Blake Shepherd, Jeff Overholtzer and Corrie Park.
“It’s going to be a great two years and I’m looking forward to it,” Woods, who has served since 2023, said.
Park thanked city staff for removing snow promptly after Sunday’s winter storm.
“I just want to say I’m completely honored to serve,” Park said.
Adam Campbell said he appreciates residents who attend meetings and participate in their local city government. He said he is excited about the next two years on council.
“I think the past year we set the stage and did some great things,” Campbell said.
Overholtzer said that all community members and local organizations make Staunton a better place and closer to what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “the beloved community.”
Arrowood said that serving the last two years on council has been an honor and serving as vice mayor will be an honor.
“We’re going to try to keep the momentum going [on projects started in the last two years],” Arrowood said.
Shepherd said that the key to council’s success is engaged residents sitting in the audience of the meeting or watching via Zoom.
“I’m very, very pleased and honored to be sitting in this chair [as mayor] and serving with these people,” Edwards said.
Staunton’s mayor earns $11,000 annually and all other council members earn $10,000 annually. The pay rates were set in October 1998 and all members of council are eligible for health, dental and vision insurance at the same rate(s) as city employees. An ordinance was adopted at the September 26, 2024 city council meeting to raise salaries, which will be effective July 1, 2027. Then the mayor will earn $16,000 and other councilmembers will earn $14,000 per year.
During the meeting, council also approved a resolution to establish the dates for meetings through December 2026.
Shepherd, Woods and Overholtzer were appointed to the council’s nominations committee.
All council members were appointed to local boards and commissions.
“This is council internally appointing yourselves to boards and commissions,” said Staunton City Manager Leslie Beauregard.
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Rebecca Barnabi
