The Shadow
On Thurs. Jan. 26, Iron Gate Town Mayor Gary Craig announced the Town has received a grant for $9,430,590 from the Office of Drinking Water Virginia Department of Health to improve the Town’s water.
Craig credited, Chuck Unroe, the former mayor of Iron Gate for the work he did in spearheading the grant writing process, and he announced that he will not accept the monthly stipend that his new position as mayor provides.
The stipend for mayor of Iron Gate is $375 per month, but Craig remarked, “I did not get on council to be paid, and I will not accept the stipend for mayor.”
All of the votes rendered during the meeting that took place in the Iron Gate Town Hall on Thurs., Jan 26, resulted in 5-0 votes of approval.
One of the 5-0 votes was to approve the appointment of Gordon Reynolds, a 13-year resident of the Town of Iron Gate, to fill the seat on the town council that was left vacant after Craig was elected mayor.
Following the adjournment of the meeting, Reynolds, the peer coordinator for the Alleghany Highlands Community Services Board, posed for the media and said, “I’m looking forward to serving the community.”
Iron Gate Town Attorney Jared Jenkins is no longer practicing law with the Mann Legal Group in Lexington, and Council approved reappointing Jenkins to continue as the town attorney under a new contract with Jenkins, Esq. The terms of the new contract remain the same.
Mayor Craig praised Wendy Biggs for helping him land on his feet so to speak during his first month as mayor during which Craig said that he had struggled to adjust from being a member of Council to being mayor.
Craig admitted, “The first month in office has been trying, and I have gotten my feet wet.”
He informed Council about a problem with the garbage collection and that he had a letter sent out to the residents concerning the issue and that the residents responded in a positive way that solved the problem that had to do with waterlogged plastic bags.
Craig read the assignments that the members of Council held in 2022, and it was agreed that members would retain their commitments moving forward.
Council approved adjustments on two bills, one water bill and one sewer bill. Water leaks had occurred in both situations but were soon remedied.
The release of funds to the Iron Gate Volunteer Fire Department was approved.
Craig read a letter from former Mayor Chuck Unroe who was the only one who responded to the public notice concerning filling the position of Iron Gate Zoning Administrator.
Council approved Unroe’s appointment to the position that provides a $25 stipend per individual response. Unroe, town manager of Clifton Forge, served as Mayor of Iron Gate for eight years before deciding not to run for the office of mayor.
Missing from the meeting was the coveted gavel that Unroe had ceremoniously used to gavel to an adjournment his last Iron Gate Town Council meeting in Dec of 2022.
At his last meeting, Unroe explained that the gavel had been fished from a dumpster following a fire at Town Hall just prior to his stint as mayor and that he had used it for eight years.
