In 2027, Rocky Mount will elect a new mayor.
I want to thank Mayor Sandy Roberson during his remaining term, for his dedication to Rocky Mount. Public leadership is never easy, particularly during challenging and changing times for cities across America. I especially enjoy his sense of good humor, his steady presence, his business background, his energy and loyalty to the city. His willingness to serve has the appreciation and respect from the community.
The thoughts that follow are offered as a hopeful reflection on what the office of mayor can continue to become.
The office needs broadening beyond a prescribed set of expectations. What it means, what it can become, and what kind of leadership our city should hope for in the years ahead.
Somewhere along the way, many Americans lowered their expectations of mayors. Too often the position has been reduced to ribbon cuttings, ceremonial appearances, photo opportunities, and prepared remarks.
We want our mayor to celebrate a new business or welcome visitors to a community event. Those moments matter. But if that is all we expect from a mayor, then we have misunderstood the importance of the office.
Great cities are not shaped by just ceremonial leadership.
A mayor may not possess the deciding vote at City Council, but a mayor possesses something equally important, influence. A mayor sets a tone. A mayor becomes the public face of civic confidence. A mayor can inspire belief, encourage investment, champion preservation, recruit opportunity, and remind citizens that their city still matters.
That kind of leadership goes beyond whether you can vote or not during City Council meetings.
Several years ago, I attended a Charleston garden tour luncheon where former Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley spoke. I have never forgotten him. His remarks were not simply about government. They were about stewardship, beauty, preservation, and the soul of a city.
Charleston did not become one of America’s most admired cities by accident.
It became ‘Charleston’ because leaders, especially Joseph Riley, believed history mattered. They believed architecture mattered. They believed beauty mattered. They understood that preservation was not nostalgia; it was economic development, civic identity, and long-term vision all working together.
Mayor Riley served Charleston for forty years. That’s because during that time he helped restore not only buildings, but confidence. He understood something many cities still fail to understand: people are drawn toward places that respect themselves.
That lesson matters greatly for Rocky Mount.
We are a city with remarkable history, remarkable architecture, remarkable people, and remarkable potential. Yet potential alone is never enough. Cities require leadership that asks larger questions:
What kind of city are we becoming through revitalization efforts? What do we want visitors to feel when they arrive here? What do we want our children to remember about this place? What are we preserving? What are we building?
Another mayor who understood the broader possibilities of leadership was Richard Lugar of Indianapolis before he became a United States Senator. Lugar approached the office not as caretaker, but as architect of the future. He thought strategically, regionally, and boldly. He understood that cities compete not only through infrastructure, but through vision.
He modernized government, encouraged economic development, and helped reposition Indianapolis nationally. More importantly, he enlarged what citizens believed was possible for their city.
That may be one of the greatest gifts a mayor can offer: expanding civic imagination..
The Rocky Mount mayor serves as ambassador, recruiter, preservation advocate, convener, encourager, and storyteller for the city itself.
We need someone who speaks positively about Rocky Mount in every room they enter.
Someone who understands that downtown matters.
Someone who values neighborhoods.
Someone who appreciates preservation not as an obstacle to progress, but as one of the foundations of meaningful progress.
Someone who understands business. Someone who can build relationships beyond city limits. Someone who recognizes that perception influences investment. Someone who understands that leadership is not merely administrative, it is cultural.
The next mayor of Rocky Mount will inherit challenges, certainly. Every city has them. But the next mayor will also inherit opportunity. Our historic buildings still stand. Our neighborhoods still carry stories. Our people still care deeply about this community.
So this is my open letter to those considering a run for mayor:
Please do not ask merely to manage Rocky Mount. Ask to inspire it. Ask to protect what is worth saving. Ask to champion beauty. Ask to recruit investment. Ask to encourage neighborhoods too often forgotten. Ask to speak proudly about this city wherever you go.
Charleston celebrated preservation. Indianapolis celebrated possibility. What will Rocky Mount celebrate next?
At the first candidate forum I attend, I know my first question for the mayoral candidates will be, “Tell me about your vision for Rocky Mount.”
Main Street Rocky Mount 