By Matt de Simone
Buchanan Town Council called a special meeting Thursday evening at Town Hall to publicly present the individuals up for consideration to fill its vacant council seat left open at the conclusion of its June meeting. This seat will likely appear on November’s ballot in a special election with the term is now set to expire December 31, 2026.
Mayor Sue Way announced that Buchanan residents Shane Bowers, Jim Heinlein, and Spring Witt are under council’s consideration for appointment. This position will be filled at the August 11 meeting. Initially, it was reported that Thursday’s special meeting would appoint a new Buchanan council member. Thursday’s meeting merely served as a way for the town to publicly announce the names under consideration.
During the meeting, Way read statements submitted by the residents interested in filling the vacant seat and also encouraged any Buchanan residents who are interested in getting involved in town leadership stating, “We would like to see more people get involved.”
The mayor shared that Bowers is born and raised in Buchanan, currently teaches welding students at Botetourt Technical Educational Center, and owns property in the town. In his statement, Bowers said, “I do have vested interest in the town’s current and future successes, proven patience, and the ability to see the full picture upon town decision making.”
Next, the mayor spoke of Tim Heinlein, who has previous town leadership experience in San Diego County, Calif., where he served as vice president of the Julian Chamber of Commerce, was on the county’s appointed architectural review board, and was the Julian Lions Club president. In addition, Heinlein was active with the Julian, Calif., Friends of the Library and the Julian Historical Society. He has been a realtor for over a decade and spent many years as a retail business owner, retail manager, and supervisor. Heinlein is the current president of the Buchanan Lions Club, which has given over $75,000 to the community in the last year through modernization, memberships, and matching grants from the district.
Way shared that Heinlein is interested in joining Town Council because “he wants to help the community in every way possible—help the Town Council and the new town manager with whatever experience and knowledge he can. His first goal would be to produce a ‘How to Run the Town Carnival’ book with the provided help of the community including current council members Sissy Austin and Marty Rickman.
The third potential council member, Spring Witt, is a “passionate community member and a dedicated entrepreneur,” Way said. Witt is originally from Florida with a background in the medical field. In 2015, Witt and her husband relocated to Buchanan where they opened the Witt Stop restaurant and the Anchorage House bed and breakfast in 2019.
“She was excited to be given this opportunity to be considered for the position because she has many diverse experiences and leadership skills and thinks that would benefit Town Council,” the mayor continued. “(Witt) has the ability to innovate and adapt in a competitive market. She believes that her extensive leadership experience, combined with her commitment to community engagement, makes her an awesome candidate for Town Council… She has a vision for a thriving, inclusive community and she said she’s ready to take on these challenges and opportunities.”
According to the county elections office, the required paperwork has yet to be filed the with the circuit court needed for the special election. If the paperwork is filed in time, candidates will have until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 15, to file their paperwork in order to be on the ballot in November. This is the same deadline for the current seats up for election for Troutville’s Town Council and mayor.
