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Buena Vista Mayor Bill Fitzgerald announced at City Council’s meeting Thursday that he will not be a candidate for re-election to a fourth two-year term in the Nov. 7 elections later this year. Also stepping down from a leadership position in Buena Vista this year is Treasurer Mary Lee Huffman.
In her sixth year as treasurer and 36th year in the treasurer’s office, Huffman is retiring April 1. She said she plans to spend more time with her grandchildren, along with her husband Herbie, who’s retired from the U.S. Forest Service, and to maybe do some traveling.
Set to succeed her as treasurer is Huffman’s deputy, Amy Hudson, who has worked in the treasurer’s office 15 years. There will be a special election Nov. 7 to fill the remaining two years of Huffman’s current term.
Fitzgerald, a self-employed contractor, was first elected mayor in November of 2017, after having served two years as a regular member of City Council. He was reelected mayor in 2019 and 2021. He previously served as a member of the Buena Vista School Board.
Tyson Cooper, a veteran member of City Council who has also served as vice mayor, has secured the requisite number of signatures to qualify as a candidate for mayor. Cooper is the chief financial officer at Southern Virginia University.
Those seeking local offices in the Nov. 7 elections have until June 20 to file their candidacies. In Buena Vista, those whose terms expire at the end of this year include Council members Stanley Coffey, Steve Webb and Cheryl Hickman and School Board members Wayne Flint, Teresa Ellison and Mac Felts.
Office holders whose terms expire later this year in Rockbridge County include Commissioner of Revenue David Whitesell, Treasurer Betty Trovato, Board of Supervisors members Bob Day of the South River District, David McDaniel of Natural Bridge and Leslie Ayers of Buffalo, and School Board members Wendy Lovell of Buffalo, Neil Whitmore of Walkers Creek and Kathy Burant of Natural Bridge.
Constitutional officers serving Rockbridge County and Lexington whose terms expire this year are Clerk of the Circuit Court Michelle Trout, Sheriff Steve Funkhouser and Commonwealth’s Attorney Jared Moon.
In Glasgow, the terms of Mayor Paul Williams and Town Council members Tom Camden, Lisa Rogers and Andrea Bradley expire this year.
Also, all six seats on the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District Board – two each for the county, Lexington and Buena Vista – will be on the ballot this year. Currently serving in these seats are (from the county) Reid Macky and Tim Goodbar, (from Lexington) Larry Hurd and Charles Winder and (from Buena Vista) Rob Deyo and Herbie Huffman.
