Former Vice Mayor Joe Cobb’s election to mayor left an open seat on the Roanoke City Council that the council will soon start working to fill.
Cobb still had two years left on his council term when he was elected mayor in November.
At the end of the new council’s first meeting on Monday, Cobb said the council is beginning to receive applications. The city is asking for a “statement of intent” from interested candidates, detailing their desire to be considered and their experience.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Jan. 17. Those interested can email the city clerk for more information.
During the council’s Jan. 21 closed session, it will review applications, Cobb said. From there, the council will either appoint someone from the list of applicants or begin an interview process.
That appointed council member will serve through the end of Cobb’s term on Dec. 31, 2026.
Other new faces to the city council are Nick Hagen, the first Republican to sit on the council in over 20 years; Phazhon Nash, the youngest council member in the city’s history; and Vice Mayor Terry McGuire. They sit alongside Cobb, Peter Volosin and Vivian Sanchez-Jones.
The council is also looking to fill a seat on the Roanoke City School Board after Natasha Saunders-Cotton announced her resignation last month. That appointment will run until the end of Saunders-Cotton’s term on June 30, 2026. Interested residents can apply through an online form.
The city recently hired a new city manager, Valmarie Turner, who was most recently deputy city manager in Fairfax. Her employment with the city begins Monday.
