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Vice Mayor Edwards announces retirement

Councilor says she will not pursue second term, intends to stay involved

Charlottesville Vice Mayor Holly Edwards announced Monday that she will not run for reelection when her term expires at the end of this year.

 

Edwards, who also works as a nurse full-time, said she wanted to spend more time with her family, adding now "it is time [for her] to step down to give someone else a turn."

 

Edwards said she intends to stay involved with the community, but looks forward to the opportunity to work more. She also said she was considering a return to school to pursue coursework in the field of public health.

 

Edwards believes she had a successful term, citing her dialogue on race as one of the highlights, as well as her involvement in the selection of Maurice Jones as City manager. She said she wishes she could have "consolidated more city programs" and perhaps established an even better working relationship with Albemarle County.

 

City Councilor David Brown said the Council will suffer a loss upon Edwards' retirement, specifically citing her ability to "explore all avenues of an issue. She brought several areas of expertise to the Council, particularly medicine and the issues facing the low-income community."

 

Brown also will retire at the end of the year. He echoed Edwards' sentiment, calling for new residents to serve the city.

 

"There are lots of smart, talented people in the community, and it's good to have new people come in a take over once in awhile," Brown said.

 

Edwards said her hope for the future of Charlottesville is for each resident to live his life to the fullest.

 

"If we could solve any one problem, [I wish] that it would be housing," Edwards said. "Housing is education, is health care, is life, is family unity"

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