By Meg Hibbert
Contributing Writer
Incumbent Salem City Council member Jim Wallace is running for a second term that he says is sole in his mission to create a Stronger Salem. He is running as a Republican, after running as an independent his first term.
The three goals in his 2020 campaign were to improve the city’s economic development, improve schools, and provide more transparency in government.
As part of his re-election campaign, Wallace said he is offering a report card that shows how things have changed in the last four years during his time on the council.
On that report card, he said, were economic developments that started with the hiring of Director of Economic Development Tommy Miller. Major accomplishments were:
- Valleydale redevelopment project, a $50 million investment in the city that will provide 300 apartment units;
- $6.8 million expansion of Layman Distribution that created 40 jobs and kept the company in Salem;
- STS committed to a $32 million investment that will create 119 jobs in part of the old GE Building;
- Wabtec chose Salem for a $2.7 million expansion and 38 new jobs, and
- Cleaning up the corner of Rt. 419 and Main Street with a $9 million investment for high-end storage.
“Economic development is crucial for Salem and its citizens as it helps foster growth, create jobs, and improve overall quality of life,” Wallae said.
“By attracting new businesses and industries, economic development injects fresh opportunities into the community, providing residents with more employment options and potentially higher incomes. This, in turn, can lead to increased spending within the community, boosting local businesses and supporting a vibrant economy,” Wallace said.
For these reasons, Economic Development will remain part of his platform for 2024, Wallace explained.
Another key initiative during the past four years was improving Salem schools. Wallace entered the 2020 race with goals to reverse a downward trend in the performance of student test scores, he said, an increase in opportunities for students to attend the Roanoke Valley Governors School, and seek new leadership at some of schools.
He praised the hiring of new school superintendent Dr. Curtis Hicks.
The results of leadership changes include:
- Implementation of a 10-point grade scale, Roanoke Valley Governors School enrollment opportunities were expanded providing more slots for each grade level and allowing ninth grade enrollment opportunities;
- Salem High School shifted to a full Advanced Placement Curriculum providing robust academic pathways recognized by colleges and universities, Wallace said;
- A Curriculum Improvement Program was introduced that is leading to significant improvements in student performance in core subjects such as math and reading.
Finally, Wallace said he wanted to provide more transparency into city government.
“We have made some progress on this topic. Citizens wanted to have a voice before Council. Now citizens can address Council during our meetings. Council meets quarterly to review citizen comments and determine if action is appropriate.
“I have made myself available to any citizen who wishes to meet, and I have attempted to regularly communicate with the citizens regarding what is happening in their city’s government.”
Wallace said there’s still more work to do here and transparency will remain a core issue of his 2024 reelection campaign. One example includes seeing the elimination of two-by-two meetings in favor of having Council debate the issues in a public forum such as a work session.
Wallace said he was raised as a fiscal conservative with a sense of personal responsibility and those values remain and are a big part of his decision to move to make the change to run as a Republican.
This year Wallace said he is adding another goal by advocating for a change in zoning codes, enforcement of codes, and attempting to enhance the appearance of the city’s main arterial roads.
“While this process is just beginning – you may notice old and broken signage has been removed in multiple locations. I want to see continued positive impacts to the city’s appearance.
“As I campaign for reelection to the Salem City Council, I remain committed to the core values and objectives that have guided my efforts over the past term,” Wallace said. “Economic development, educational improvements, and government transparency have been at the heart of my efforts.”
While he’s proud of the progress that’s already been made, Wallace said he looks forward to continuing those efforts.
