Courtesy of City of Salem
Salem city manager Jay Taliaferro will retire on November 1, 2023.
After 32 years in public service, Salem city manager Jay Taliaferro has announced that he will retire from his current position on November 1, 2023. Having grown up in Salem, Virginia, Taliaferro developed a fondness for the city at a young age. Now, he plans to remain in the area while enjoying time with his wife Elizabeth and his grown children.
“To be able to serve others while giving back to the community that helped raise me has been an extremely special and unique experience,” Taliaferro said in a July 7 press release. “I appreciate the opportunity to lead the city more than anyone will ever know.”
Taliaferro comes from a legacy of public servants. His father, the late Jim Taliaferro, was Salem's mayor from 1974-1996.
Jay Taliaferro graduated from Salem High School in 1984. He left Salem temporarily to earn his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University. But, he quickly returned to his hometown.
Taliaferro began his employment with the City of Salem in 1991 as a Staff Engineer and in 1998, he was named City Engineer by City Manager Randy Smith. In 2000, Taliaferro moved into administration as Assistant City Manager and he served in that role under both Forest Jones and Kevin Boggess.
“Learning how local government works has really been a rewarding journey,” Taliaferro says. “32 years later, I'm still learning as we go.”
"The main thing [Jones and Boggess] made clear is the importance of keeping Salem moving in a positive and productive direction that will make all of our citizens and visitors proud,” Taliaferro says.
Taliaferro has been Salem’s city manager since December 19, 2019. Much of that time has been defined by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Taliaferro has not allowed pandemic-related hurdles to slow him down.
“It was an unusual four years,” Taliaferro says regarding his time as city manager. “We had the shutdown. The economy went sideways,” he says. The city had to make some tough decisions. However, Taliaferro and his team turned things around and took on several significant projects in a short span of time.
The renovation and additions made to Salem High School’s main building and its athletic field house, the major upgrades at the Moyer Sports Complex and the downtown corridor improvements equated to nearly $65 million in projects during this time.
Furthermore, Taliaferro and his team have worked closely with several private developers to repurpose and reimagine historic properties in the city. The former General Electric manufacturing plant and the Valleydale Meat packing facility are both in the process of rising from the ashes, according to the July 7 press release.
“In spring or summer of 2020 I don't know that I would have pictured some of these things happening but we were able to do them,” Taliaferro says.
Salem’s economic outlook has improved under Taliaferro’s leadership. The city’s bond rating improved to AA+ with the S&P Global Rating, according to the press release. “When we were able to borrow money for the high school project at 1.45 percent that is the moment when we hit it out of the park,” Taliaferro says. “I am exceptionally proud that we have been able to build up our reserves and put the city in a strong financial situation both today and moving forward.”
“Our reserves are healthy,” Taliaferro says. “We're putting together a capital reserve fund that should help to fund small to medium capital purchases. We've got a capital improvement plan lined up and we have funding for future phases of the downtown renovation.” Taliaferro also mentioned forthcoming transportation projects, including bridge replacement renovations. “The city is in good shape right now,” he says.
“One of the most rewarding things about government service is being able to see some of the results of various things that we've done,” Taliaferro says, looking back at his lengthy career.
Taliaferro fondly remembers working on the Lake Spring Park renovation in the mid-90s. “It was a nice little park. We got a grant to update it,” he says. “I had an opportunity to take the concept plans and make construction documents out of them. Then, I worked with the contractors to renovate the park.”
With that renovation, the park’s once-grass pathways were updated to concrete for ease of upkeep and accessibility, and the pond edges were reinforced for longevity. “It is great to see people enjoying these spaces,” he says.
So, what’s next for Taliaferro? He plans to hit the golf course with his adult children.
“I quit playing golf years ago,” he says. “I didn’t know if I could do it again, due to some back problems.” When his adult children asked him to play a round with them, Taliaferro hopped on Google and YouTube to learn more about playing golf with a bad back, he says. He got some pointers and returned to the golf course without many issues. “My game wasn’t that good, but I had the opportunity to spend time with my kids,” he says.
Regarding his legacy, Taliaferro hopes to leave spaces where people can go and gather, again mentioning the downtown improvement projects. “Hopefully, this will help businesses and create more living space,” he says. “The amenities we’re adding should help draw even more people.”
“We’ve got good things that are going to happen in the future,” Taliaferro says. “Lots of exciting things are to come.”