BECKLEY, W.Va. — Beckley has welcomed a new mayor as the search for a permanent city manager continues.
Mayor Ryan Neal was sworn in last week after being elected in May. He takes over for Rob Rappold who retired on June 30 after serving as mayor since 2016.
The change in leadership comes as Beckley transitions to a city manager form of government. Rappold named city Treasurer/Recorded Billie Trump to serve as the interim city manager during the next few months.
Neal, owner of the Beef Jerky Outlet, becomes the first Beckley mayor to step back and hold a “ceremonial” role. He told MetroNews the city manager will have the authority to make final decisions.
“It’s my job, the way I see it, to put pressure on that person to do what the people of Beckley want done,” Neal said.
Neal said the city manager will essentially serve as the “CEO” of the Beckley.
“Billie Trump and I get along great. I look forward to working with him. He said to me ‘Ryan, you tell me what you want in the city and my job is to try and get us there.’,” he said.
For well over 100 years, the city operated under a strong mayor form of government. In January, the Beckley Common Council voted to change that and shift to a city manager form of government.
Officially appointing a new city manager will require a vote by council. Neal said selecting a permanent city manager could take a few months.
Neal said even though his role will be slightly different than other Beckley mayors, his goals of improving the city remain the same. He said one of his top priorities is to invest in education, small businesses and fun events to keep young people in West Virginia.
“The more things we can get kids involved in, I think at that young age, we want to make sure they have a good education, that there’s fun things to do and ultimately when people go to college here, we want those people to have good jobs to stay here,” he said.
One area of education he’s interested in investing in is WVU Tech in Beckley. He said it’s important to support community colleges.
“If the student enrollment grows, Beckley grows. If the city grows, it’s going to attract more students here which brings more money to the city. I think it’s an awesome opportunity if we just embrace the school and work together well,” he said.