Newly elected Beckley Mayor and City Council partake in first meeting

BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The newly elected Mayor and Beckley City Council members assembled for their very first meeting on Tuesday evening.

Mayor Ryan Neal oversaw the proceedings as council members navigated the Tuesday agenda, which included consideration of the city budget, a resolution pertaining to the Beckley Intermodal Gateway, and more.

Returning council members Janine Bullock – representative for Ward 5 – and At-Large representative Cody Reedy were on-hand alongside newly elected council members, though At-Large representative Sherrie Hunter was unable to be in attendance for the meeting.

Proceedings appeared to go smoothly throughout the duration of the meeting, with the newly elected city officials adapting effectively to their respective roles and engaging with one another as well as with members of the public in attendance.

Approval of the budget presented for the City of Beckley was beholden to an apparent deadline of July 15, 2024, and ultimately saw passage through city council during the meeting.

Approval of the agenda item was not without issue however, as newly elected representative for Ward 1, Natalie Coots expressed that documents to be reviewed by members of council should be made available in a manner so as to allow for sufficient analysis by members of council.

“I understand that there’s a deadline and we have to fulfill it,” said Councilwoman Coots in an exchange newly sworn-in Interim City Manager, Billie Trump early in the meeting. “But is there a possibility that we can get this in a more timely manner when we have to vote on something like that?”

City of Beckley Common Council is scheduled to meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and are expected to reassemble for their next meeting later this month on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

Additional information on Beckley Common Council and general city matters can be found at the City of Beckley website .