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Joseph C. Ritchie

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Joseph C. Ritchie
Mayor of Newport News, Virginia
In office
1976–1986
DeputyLorraine Grillo
Preceded byHarry E. Atkinson
Succeeded byJessie M. Rattley

Joseph C. Ritchie was the mayor of Newport News, Virginia for ten years, from July 1, 1976[1] to June 30, 1986. Ritchie was the first Republican mayor for the city; in fact, his election to City Council in 1970 was the first time a Republican had been chosen to serve as a Councilman.

Ritchie's decade as mayor saw significant[quantify] growth in the city.[citation needed] Major improvements[which?] to the infrastructure of the city were carried out during his terms.[citation needed] Ritchie himself considered the lowering of tax rates, a cause with which he was particularly involved in, to be key to growth in the city during this time.[citation needed] In 2017 Ritchie signed a "sister city" agreement with the city of Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan.[2]

After serving as mayor, Ritchie returned to his career as a contractor, as owner and CEO of the Ritchie-Curbow Construction Company.[3] The company is responsible for building several sites of interest in the Hampton Roads area. Ritchie is also a managing member of Newport News Town Center, LLC, responsible for the managing of the city's new City Center at Oyster Point district. In addition, Ritchie is an "organizer-director" of Virginia Company Bank, a new bank expecting to start serving residents and businesses in August 2005.

Preceded by Mayor of Newport News
1976–1986
Succeeded by

References

[edit]
  1. ^ League of Virginia Municipalities (1977). Virginia municipal review. Vol. 55–56.
  2. ^ "Resolution of Recognition". City of Newport News Public eMeetings Portal. June 27, 2017.
  3. ^ "Candidates For Newport News Mayor". tribunedigital-dailypress. Daily Press. 13 March 1998. Retrieved 17 September 2017.