In their first act of business for 2024, Charlottesville City Council has unanimously elected Juandiego Wade as for Mayor for the next two years.
“I love this community and I have served it since I was a student here in 1988 in the planning school and continued on in different capacities,” Wade said shortly after the vote. “I often tell people I’m a humble public servant and this allows me to do it in a lot different capacity then I thought I did when I first came to this community but things happen and I’m here on Council now as Mayor and I’m going to use my position to continue to move this city forward.”
Councilor Brian Pinkston nominated Wade to the position for his service to the community, including four terms as an elected member of the Charlottesville School Board. Wade had been nominated to serve as Mayor in 2022, but declined to serve paving the way for two years of Lloyd Snook in the first-among-equals position after a divided 3-2 vote.
“He’s taken the last two years to sort of learn the ropes of what’s involved and to keep an eye on Mr. Snook and what he could learn from him,” Pinkston said. “I think he’s brought his trademark kindness and compassion but also willingness to really roll up his sleeves and get his work done.”
Wade then nominated Pinkston to serve as Vice Mayor.
“We have worked together in many capacities over the last few years and we have ran together and we have worked out many issues together as Councilors over the last couple of years.”
In his comments, Pinkston thanked Snook for his leadership over the last two years, particularly getting the new Development Code. He said he would use his position to push the priorities of other councilors in addition to his own.
“I feel really optimistic about where this city is and where it’s going,” Pinkston said. “I think we’ll get a lot of done for the City of Charlottesville.”
City Councilor Lloyd Snook said at his re-election announcement last year he would not seek another two-year term as Mayor. He took a moment to say that when he sought to be Mayor last year, he had two goals.
“First was to hire a good city manager and the second was to rebuild the team,” Snook said, adding that the first was accomplished by the hiring of interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers in January 2022 and promoting Deputy City Manager Sanders last July.
“We hired a new City Attorney, we hired a new police chief, a new fire chief, the city manager’s office is finally going to be fully-staffed,” Snook said.
Snook said accomplishments in the past two years include the renovation of Crescent Halls, construction of new public housing units at South First Street, and meeting the promise of putting $10 million a year toward affordable housing projects. He also pointed to the $90 million investment in Buford Middle School, adoption of a collective bargaining ordinance, and adoption of the new Development Code.
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