City Council Mission Statement

It shall be the intent of City Council to meet the needs of the citizens, ensure public safety, enhance recreational and cultural activities, support the school system, strengthen our commercial base to help ensure the future viability of the city, and strive for the highest quality of life for all of our citizens.

We are committed to eight central themes; quality education, thriving neighborhoods, maintenance of the small town feeling, adequate infrastructure for current and growth needs, continued safety, prosperous economic base, efficient and exemplary customer service from city departments, and a more pleasant aesthetic appearance of the city.

Education

Colonial Heights is known throughout the region and state for our superior school system. We will maintain high academic standards for the pupils in our school system and raise educational standards for all citizens, creating and maintaining a well-educated population through programs and technology.

Neighborhoods

As part of the current initiative on neighborhood revitalization, we want to preserve those neighborhoods that are well maintained. In addition, we want to assist struggling neighborhoods through programs that reverse deterioration and instill neighborhood pride. We will preserve and spotlight our historic assets, like Violet Bank, Fort Clifton, and the Old Brick House. We want to help preserve a sense of belonging and community through continued single family homes and improved socialization opportunities within neighborhoods.

Small Town Feeling

Based upon fond memories and our mobilization in times of community need, we want to foster this sense of connectedness in the community. Faith and values have always played an important role in the lives of city residents. Values like a sense of belonging, a sense of family and connectedness within the community and caring are part of the values we uphold. We want to strengthen this sense of community where youth and adult sports, community programs, senior citizen activities, and club functions enhance and sustain all citizens.

Infrastructure

Our goal is to repair existing systems before building new - we need streets without potholes, sewers that drain, sound curbs and gutters, and pipes that don’t leak.

Safety

Our citizens deserve and expect a safe community. To this end, we will strive to maintain our current level of security and the feeling of well being in our neighborhoods. We do this through our police and fire departments, with exemplary personnel and technology to protect all citizens.

Economic Base

We have experienced sound economic growth for a city our size and wish to protect the retail base of the Boulevard corridor and the Southpark Mall areas. We provide convenient shopping for our citizens and the surrounding communities while maintaining our sense of community.

Services for Citizens

We provide premiere parks and recreation services, senior citizen activities and youth programs. We offer refuse disposal, curb side recycling and a responsive government help line. We expect to continue current services as well as adding and improving city services for residents.

Aesthetics

We are fortunate to have a prime location, with the Appomattox River, Swift Creek, and Lakeview Lake within our city’s boundaries. We promote the addition of green spaces, parks, clean waterways and streets and an enhanced beautification program.

Government Services

We will continue to improve communication between customers and government. We require positive customer experiences with each interaction, including follow up after customer requests. The city manager creates an expectation of customer satisfaction and empowers supervisors and staff to quickly and effectively handle issues.