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Michele Casale, a native of Long Island, New York, who lived in Richmond for 34 years and moved to Buena Vista two years ago, is a candidate for City Council in this fall’s elections.
Issues that will be priorities for her on Council, if she’s elected, she said, would include “the roads, senior services, schools.” Actually, she added, “all issues of [Buena Vista’s] constituents are my priorities.”
Asked about her thoughts on the city’s schools, and whether Buena Vista can continue to afford to operate its own school system and invest in capital improvements for the schools, she said, “The schools are in need of renovating.”
As for whether the city can continue to provide basic services to citizens while holding the line on taxes, she said, “The city should continue to provide services while maintaining collection of taxes.”
Asked if there are any other issues she would like to address, Casale responded, “I’d like to hold an open forum to discuss the needs and desires of the people of Buena Vista.”
She said she believes she is qualified to serve as a member of City Council because “I am a citizen of Buena Vista who would like to help my fellow citizens and neighbors to improve their daily lives. I want all [of] our BV residents, friends and neighbors to see improvements and reap the benefits of a City Council that works for them.”
Casale said she is putting together a festival, Autumnfest, at Glen Maury Park that will be held this Saturday, Oct. 21, from noon to 6 p.m. The festival will have live music, contests, dancing and face painting. At the event, she said she will be honoring Buena Vista’s first responders – members of the police, fire and rescue squad departments.
Casale said she is an ordained minister and has presided over 4,000 wedding ceremonies since 1996, that she formerly presided over a “church without walls” at Pony Pasture, near Richmond, in which she led Bible studies for all denominations. Her prior employment history, she said, included working for a security firm that contracted with the Richmond city sheriff’s office and serving as CEO for Virginia Moving & Storage.
MI CHELE CASALE
