Beckley’s New Mayor Ready to Embrace ‘City Manager’ Form of Government Change

BECKLEY, West Virginia — 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 succeeds Rob Rappold, who retired June 30 after serving as mayor since 2016.

The leadership change comes as Beckley transitions to a “city manager” style of government. Rappold named city treasurer/registered member Billie Trump to serve as interim city manager for the next several months.

Neal, owner of the Beef Jerky Outlet, becomes the first Beckley mayor to step down and take on a “ceremonial” role. He told MetroNews the city manager will have final decision-making authority.

“It’s my job, I think, to pressure this person to do what the people of Beckley want him to do,” Neal said.

Neal said the city manager will essentially serve as Beckley’s “CEO.”

“Billie Trump and I get along really well. I’m looking forward to working with him. He said, ‘Ryan, tell me what you want for the city and my job is to try to get us there,'” he said.

For more than 100 years, the city operated under a strong mayoral system. In January, the Beckley City Council voted to change that and move to a city manager system.

The official appointment of a new city manager will require a council vote. Neal said selecting a permanent city manager could take a few months.

Neal said that while his role will be slightly different than other Beckley mayors, his goals for improving the city remain the same. He said one of his top priorities is investing in education, small businesses and fun events to keep young people in West Virginia.

“The more we can get kids involved in things, I think at that age we want to make sure they have a good education, that there are 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 he wants to invest in is WVU Tech in Beckley. He said it’s important to support community colleges.

“If the number of students grows, Beckley will grow. If the city grows, it will attract more students here, which will bring more money into the city. I think it’s a tremendous opportunity if we embrace the school and work well together,” he said.