See below for highlights from a “Tweetstorm” just posted by Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer, reflecting on what he calls the “once-in-a-lifetime experience of serving as mayor of Charlottesville” since January 2016, his accomplishments, but also the “Summer of Hate” and “the families and loved ones of those who died on August 12 — Heather Heyer, Jay Cullen, and Berke Bates.” Signer announces that “while I appreciate those who have said they would like for me to continue serving as Mayor, I came into office with a keen appreciation for the virtues of Charlottesville’s longstanding tradition of mayors serving a single term. I intend to maintain that tradition tonight.” As you can see from this list, many previous mayors of Charlottesville served for two years, while others (e.g., David Brown, Dave Norris, Satyendra Huja) served for four years, with one (Frank Buck) serving for a whopping eight years as mayor.
For Mike Signer, though, it was highly unlikely that he’d continue as mayor after apologizing for behavior which he called “inconsistent with the collaboration required by our system of government” and which he admitted “overstepped the bounds as my role as Mayor.” There also were several raucous city council meetings, such as this one, in which “members of the the community unfurled a large banner with the words ‘blood on your hands’ and shouted down the scheduled meeting.” Also, in late August, Signer’s role as mayor was “diminished” by the City Council, including promises to “meet with senior staff only with another Councilor present” and to “not make public pronouncements or announcements as Mayor without working with my Colleagues and the City Manager beforehand and ensuring their consent, and will always have another Council member present.”
Clearly, after all that, there was little if any doubt that Signer would be stepping down as mayor. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Signer and what had appeared, pre-“Summer of Hate,” to be a potentially promising future in politics…
28) I’m not going anywhere. I’ll continue to serve Charlottesville on the dais (just not from the center seat) as a member of Council. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me with ideas or feedback at msigner@charlottesville.orgor (434) 970–3113. Thank you!
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
27) And while I appreciate those who have said they would like for me to continue serving as Mayor, I came into office with a keen appreciation for the virtues of Charlottesville’s longstanding tradition of mayors serving a single term. I intend to maintain that tradition tonight
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
26) All in all, it’s been an incredibly eventful two years. Even on the most trying days, it’s always been a privilege of a lifetime to serve what I believe is truly one of the greatest cities in the world.
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
7) We maintained several of Charlottesville’s core economic strengths, including our AAA bond rating, the lowest unemployment of any Virginia city, and multi-million dollar surpluses, which we plowed back into our budget for long-term capital projects, following best practices.
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
6) In a turbulent time where virtually ever public body receives withering criticism, I’m comforted by the belief that our decisions will ultimately change lives, whether it’s someone living in an affordable new home, a kid starting her first day of school, or a start-up business
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
5) I’m glad that we have taken some firm actions: suing six paramilitary groups to prevent them from threatening Charlottesville again; launching an independent investigation highlighting dozens of reforms; and overhauling our event permitting process to enhance public safety.
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
4) I have spoken many times about my own outrage, fury, disappointment, sadness, and regret for what we were forced to endure, and for the many failures of our city and state governments documented in recent investigations.
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
3) In the aftermath of our “Summer of Hate,” which included a torch-lit rally by white supremacists at Emancipation Park in May, a KKK rally in July, and the “Unite the Right” rally on August 11 and 12, it’s been a difficult year for Charlottesville & a hard one for us on Council
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
2) As I write this, my mind is full of the memories of my whirlwind time as mayor. My first thought is of the families and loved ones of those who died on August 12 — Heather Heyer, Jay Cullen, and Berke Bates. Their New Year will be so much different from mine and my heart aches
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
1) As a New Year’s Baby, January 1 is full of wildly different memories for me. Now, instead of late-night parties and hangovers the next day, there are images of kids with balloons—and reflections on the once-in-a-lifetime experience of serving as mayor of Charlottesville.
— Mike Signer (@MikeSigner) January 2, 2018
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