Terry McGuire - Roanoke City Council Candidate
Campground Reopening: Are you committed to working with the National Park Service to reopen the Roanoke Mountain Campground for overnight access?
Absolutely! I would be delighted to work with the National Park Service to reopen the campground on Mill Mountain, and I believe my 13 years of experience in federal environmental policy and government affairs puts me in a strong position to engage with the relevant stakeholders and elected officials to see this accomplished. A public campground on Mill Mountain would enhance what is already one of our greatest recreational assets and support continued growth of our regional outdoor recreation economy. I'm all for it.
Greenway Completion: Will you use your best efforts to secure the right of way and commit to the necessary funding to complete the Roanoke River Greenway from Explore Park to Green Hill Park?
Yes, and as an active user and lover of our parks and trails, I would be eager to lead the charge! The Greenway is one of Roanoke's best and greatest investments and I would very much like to work with our neighboring localities, especially Roanoke County, to see it extended.
Budget Prioritization: How do you envision balancing budget priorities between greenway development and other infrastructure projects? Will you advocate allocating a dedicated percentage of the annual budget to greenway expansion, maintenance, and improvement?
I very much support an increased budget for our parks and trails and would make those investments a priority. I am eager to take a holistic view of our city's expenses to identify areas where we could save and redirect resources. I am also interested in exploring the hiring of a grant-writer to focus on securing state and federal dollars to be applied to local parks and trails projects.
Economic Benefits: What are the long-term economic benefits of investing in our greenway system and reopening the campground, and how would you communicate these benefits to constituents who may be skeptical of the costs?
Investing in our parks and outdoor recreation infrastructure is an investment in our future economic development, as well as the health and happiness of our residents. I am glad to discuss with any resident the need for us to "put our money where our mouth is" when it comes to supporting this substantial and growing sector of our economy.
Community Engagement: How do you plan to engage with environmental groups and local residents to address concerns about expanding the greenway and reopening the Roanoke Mountain Campground? What strategies will you use to ensure transparency and public involvement in the decision-making process?
Transparency in decision-making is critical and I will do everything I can to communicate clearly and directly with residents and all stakeholders on this and any city business. I'd like to see a series of community meetings to gather input and opinions, and I would also like to work with the Mill Mountain Advisory Board, on which I served for 4 years until the completion of my term earlier this year.
Resource Allocation: How would you work with adjoining localities to secure additional resources for the region's outdoor recreation initiatives, including the greenway and campground projects? Can you support increasing the recreation budget to a specific target (e.g., from 2% to 3%)?
It starts with a conversation and this is a topic I very much look forward to talking about with other local elected officials from surrounding jurisdictions. It's important to me that we have a strong, diversified local economy, and our outdoor recreation businesses have shown themselves to be a significant driver of economic growth and prosperity. To continue supporting them and the wellbeing of all our residents, I look forward to advocating for an increase in the Parks and Recreation Department budget to at least 5%.