Fairfax City Official Appointed Roanoke City Manager: Reports

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Roanoke City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Monday to appoint Fairfax City Deputy City Manager Valmarie H.Turner as its new city manager.

The city council voted on the resolution at its regular meeting, with Turner in attendance. She will take over for Dr. Lydia Patton, who has been serving as interim manager after the previous city manager Bob Cowell resigned in June, according to a report from Roanoke TV station WFXR.

"We are sorry to lose such a talented and committed member of our senior staff," said Mayor Catherine Read. "It's been a joy to work with Valmarie Turner and I know what she is capable of doing in this city manager role."

Read, who grew up in Roanoke, added that she cared deeply about the the city.

"If she was going to leave our city there is not a better city she could have chosen thank Roanoke," she said. "I'm happy for their new mayor and council and for Valmarie."

“We would like to thank Valmarie for her tremendous service to Fairfax City," City Manager Laszlo Palko said, in an email to Patch. "She brought our city so much knowledge and insight from her 30 years of experience managing local governments, and she will be sorely missed. While we are saddened by losing a core member of our “Dream Team,” as our mayor likes to call us, we are incredibly proud and happy for Valmarie getting her new role as it is much deserved and we were lucky to have had her with us. It has been an honor serving alongside of her and our entire organization wishes her the best going forward!”

No timeline has been established to fill the vacant deputy city manager decision, according to a city spokesman. The issue will be discussed with the new city council, which is scheduled to be sworn-in in January.