Breaking news from city council: City Manager Darlene Burcham will retire on March 1st, 2010.
Roanoke city council announced the decision after meeting in closed session for several hours Monday night. Burcham says she will use her final 272 days to wrap up some unfinished business.
Burcham – who said she hadn’t even contemplated retirement before it came up – also made it clear during her public comments following the meeting that city council was behind the decision, not her.
“It’s clear from the conversation that council believes that it’s time for someone new or someone different,” Burcham said in a statement to the press.
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The idea that “wasteful spending” can be easily identified and used to make pain-free reductions in spending, and as taxes as a result, is a red herring. Every item of government spending has a constituency, or else it wouldn’t be there. There’s an inherent tradeoff between the level of services provided by the government and the taxes paid by citizens. If the citizens of Roanoke decide that reducing taxes is their highest priority, that’s a legitimate choice. As a result, programs will be reduced or eliminated along with the number of government employees and/or their compensation.
The staff of the Roanoker Magazine should receive some kind of recognition for having the back bone and pride in stating the facts as they should have been told by our other media sources.
I was under the impression that reporting the news was their primary interest to the local citizens. Now I am sure that most people realize just how the local media works. The only thing they are interested in are sports and the weather.
It is really a shame that they cover up all the dirt that has happened over the years. I would presume that they have little if no interest in the well being of the City of Roanoke and its citizens.
How could they have had their heads in the sand for so long? Or don’t they think the Citizens have a right to know about what really goes on?
The Roanoker Magazine will be my main source of what is really happening in the area from now on, and I really think your reporting has opened the eyes of the City as to how an outsider can tank the very government that is supposed to be looking out for citizens best interests.
Thank you one and all for stepping up to the plate and letting ever one know the truth about the Queen and her bag of tricks.
G.C.
First of all, congratulations on your excellent journalism and it’s results. You have a top class publication.
“”Burcham says she will use her final 272 days to wrap up some unfinished business.”"”
This is something that the Roanoker should watch out for. As corrupt as the Queen is you guys are likely to be on her unfinished business list.
“”"One is that taxes are too high. The other is that city employees think they’re not paid enough. Obviously, no future city manager can reconcile these sentiments.”"”
I completely disagree with any statement that suggests that every dollar is spent wisely and there is no way we can ever reduce the tax burden. This is absolutely incorrect.
“”"I can not understand City Manager is going to be left in office where she will still be able to finish what projects? Or should that be cover her tracks.”"”
This shocked me as well. I too am surprised that they have allowed her to stay that long. This decision could effect their re-elections. I would have prefered that we thouroughly investigate the matter at hand prior to her covering her tracks. If you owned a company and a the one managing it was running it into the ground, would you tell him to hang around and continue to destroy it for another year?
This lack of business education with the city council is really showing itself in this situation.
I can not understand the City Manager is going to be left in office where she will still be able to finish what projects? Or should that be cover her tracks.
How is it that she has a salary of over $173,000.00, and the city can not afford to keep schools open ,yet they can find the funds to give out such large increases to school administrators. It dose not take a a person with a very high level of skills to figure out that the entire City of Roanoke is being run by money grabbing thieves that think the citizens are stupid. Well with a 52% graduation rate from City Schools I think they should start looking at the over all picture and let the Justice Department check out just what is going on before the City is gone for good.
Glad to be retired from The City of Roanoke, and even happier not to live where the City Government can abuse their employees and citizens with No Fear.
I can not understand City Manager is going to be left in office where she will still be able to finish what projects? Or should that be cover her tracks.
How is it that she has a salary of over $173,000.00, and the city can not afford to keep schools open ,yet they can find the funds to give out such large increases to school administrators. It dose not take a a person with a very high level of skills to figure out that the entire City of Roanoke is being run by money grabbing thieves that think the citizens are stupid. Well with a 52% graduation rate from City Schools I think they should start looking at the over all picture and let the Justice Department check out just what is going on before the City is gone for good.
Glad to be retired from The City of Roanoke, and even happier no live where the City Government can abuse their employees and citizens with No Fear.
It was probably time for Burcham to go. Though, it seems like there are two major themes from the comments here. One is that taxes are too high. The other is that city employees think they’re not paid enough. Obviously, no future city manager can reconcile these sentiments.
Make sure you tune in to WSLS Channel 10 On Your Side for updates and information regarding Burcham and the effects of her recent situation. The station has reporters out on the field everyday getting updates and finding out how Burcham’s retirement will be affecting you, and your wallets.