By Lyra Bordelon
After a number of interviews, the Ronceverte City Council has selected Cherie Davis to fill the seat left by former councilmember Adam Rosin on Monday, December 7.
A familiar face to those who frequent the Ronceverte Public Library, Davis hopes to keep the city running smoothly. Joking that she frequently runs into and talks to half the town in her position as librarian, when the council seat opened, she felt she could be another line of communication between the people of Ronceverte and their leaders.
“I’ve been in the community since 2004 and I bought a house here in 2010,” said Davis. “I’ve on the planning board and Parks and Recreation, and when I found out [a seat came open], I just thought … it might be something I could do and help.”
According to newly-appointed City Administrator Pam Mentz, Rosin’s departure was due to a work schedule that often prevented him from attending meetings. After his departure, the council set out to find a replacement, deciding on Davis.
Davis explained she did not have specific policy goals as a councilmember, but looked to keep the city’s ongoing projects moving forward. She explained the council “actually asked me that as part of the interview questions and no, I don’t. I’m there to support what the city supports.” However, she doesn’t just plan to be a rubber stamp, saying “I’m not always going to agree with everything, just like they’re not always going to agree with my viewpoint, but mostly [I want] to see things run smoothly.”
A big issue of concern for many Ronceverte residents are the multiple water rate increases passed by City Council in the past few years. Davis expressed support for the project that the rate increases support. The two phase water project comes to a total of approximately $6.2 million, however, grants from a variety of sources have provided about $3.3 million, covering all of the phase two improvements and more. Despite this, the city still had to vote to raise rates multiple times to fund the project, once initially and a second increase after a petition against the first increase put Ronceverte behind a Lewisburg rate increase.
“This is off the wall, but I have a she-shed, where I do my sewing, and I wanted electricity to it alone,” explained Davis. “They had to dig and do another line or it would have been outrageously expensive. When the guy dug it, nobody realized that the people had installed the [a sewer connection] on my property. They took it from around the house, to that side, then it goes to the road. Basically, we busted my sewer pipe, but it didn’t show up for three months [due to backup]. It made me realize that for a lot of these old houses, nobody knows where those lines are. … If it’s like that [for sewer], what’s it like for the water lines, how many water lines?
The project will replace 20,200 linear feet of water main lines, 4,000 linear feet of service lines, 50 fire hydrants, replacing two storage tanks, 23,500 linear feet of pavement repairs, and more.
“I think [city leadership tries] hard to work within the boundaries, and they understand,” Davis said. “I’m on a limited income, I can’t have everything going up and up and up. … When things get old, they have to be fixed. Same way with your house. I think we forget, as consumers, if this is what it costs to fix my house, think of what it costs to fix things that are going to multiple houses.”
Hoping to do her best for the city, Davis looked forward to the work that has to be done.
“I’m probably one of those people that if I don’t believe in something, I won’t vote for it. I don’t go long with a crowd just to get along with a crowd. I try to understand the system. … I hope I’m good for it and that I’m a positive person.”
