By Meg Hibbert
Contributing Writer
John Sauders has unfinished business he wants to do for the City of Salem. That’s why he is running for a term on Salem City Council, he announced this week.
“I still feel an urge to serve,” the 63-year-old former Councilman said in an interview Monday. “I feel like I still have lots to give.”
Saunders was on Council through December 2022. In that November’s city election – the first to be held in November instead of May – Saunders lost by less than a dozen votes to Councilman Randy Foley and asked for a recount.
So far, the other candidate who has announced is Anne Marie Green, who made her announcement the end of January.
This time, Saunders is running as a Republican instead of an Independent.
“I have been encouraged to make this change and I have supported Republican candidates and the party in the past,” he explained.
“This city is very dear to me as I worked for the city for over three decades. It is time to refocus on many of the aspects that made the city the envy of the area. Our infrastructure was carefully constructed, our facilities the best, and most of all we took care of our citizens and especially our employees,” Saunders said.
He continued, “Our infrastructure is in a degrading situation, and our roads are not up to par and it’s one of the most telling signs of the prosperity and future of a city. I consistently hear more complaints on our roads than most anything else.”
Saunders worked in the Civic Center for 33 years, and it is one of his main focuses. “It needs a lot of updating and the complex of the Civic Center, the football and baseball stadium need many improvements.” He added, “I think I understand what it takes to put the Civic Center and the stadiums back in the upper echelon of facilities in the state. Most of the improvements necessary were placed in the capital projects list during the years of my employment and in my predecessors’ employment but times were hard and money was needed urgently in other areas. It’s time to find the money.”
He said a lot of people don’t realize how important the Civic Center complex is to the economics of the city. “You can see it when visitors crowd into Mac and Bob’s and spend money,” Saunders said.
One of the reasons Saunders said he is running as a Republican is with the city election the same time as the presidential one, local candidates are on the back of the ballot at the bottom. He is encouraging voters to remember to turn over their ballots.
Saunders is Salem born and Salem bred. He graduated from Salem High School in the first graduating class – before that year, Andrew Lewis was Salem’s high school. He then attended Ferrum College, the University of Virginia and graduated from Roanoke College in 1983 with a business administration degree.
“That really helped in understanding city budgets,” he added. Saunders started his career with the city as a night watchman at the Civic Center, then, when he was 23, was hired by former Civic Center Complex Administrator Carey Harveycutter to be his assistant.
Saunders has a daughter, Heather, 23. He is a cancer survivor, is proud to be a season ticket holder to the Salem Red Sox games and Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs ice hockey. He is active with the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame.
In closing, Saunders emphasized “In times of inflation which is rampant we need to properly use taxes for items necessary to sustain our city and in the citizens’ best interest. Lowering taxes is always a goal yet not always attainable. We need to be business friendly as our partners are fighting the same battles the city is. Our code needs changing and yet applied in the way Salem used to provide – a business friendly approach. “
