Incoming mayor discusses plans for Beckley

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Beef Jerky Outlet owner Ryan Neal may usually be found at his Harper Road business, but starting July 1, 2024, Neal will be mayor of Beckley.

He is a first-time mayor, but Neal said on Monday, June 24, 2024, that he would not be entering the office with his eyes closed.

Neal said he has plans for the city.

“I know city council each have their goals, and what they want to try to accomplish,” said Neal. “I’ve got a set of goals I want to see our city do, make it a little bit more appealing uptown, maybe make it not so old and archaic looking. Freshen it up, make it more vibrant.”

Neal will be the first mayor to serve as a more ceremonial figure, following a vote by Beckley Common Council to hire a city manager and to transition to a weak mayor and strong Council system of government.

The transition is in legal limbo, as a Beckley businessman appeals a Raleigh County Circuit Court ruling in May, which approved the transition.

Neal said he will work with a strong council, but part of his plan as mayor is to draw crowds to Beckley’s downtown by expanding on the success of events like Chili Night and other festivals and by introducing additional street fairs and events.

Another part of the plan, he said, is to engage students from WVU Tech.

He said he planned to do his part to create a space where the community of Beckley and the Tech campus are integrated and part of one another, a system WVU-Tech President Dr. T. Ramon Stuart has dubbed a “communiversity.”

“I mean, it’s a $35 million footprint, the school is, here,” Neal said, referring to WVU Tech. “We should embrace being a college town. We should embrace that, and I think if we could have more activities and stuff for the students to do uptown, it’s a win-win.”

He said he has reached out to Beckley Common Council members and has attended city events and that he looks forward to working with interim city manager Billie Trump, who will serve as city manager until the incoming Council appoints a permanent city manager.

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