About West Jefferson
About West Jefferson
History of West Jefferson
West Jefferson developed around the Virginia-Carolina Railroad depot in the early 1900s. Before the railroad and the resulting town, a few families lived in the valley known for its cherry tree orchards. The valley is located between Mount Jefferson to the east and Paddy Mountain to the west. The first ownership of the valley that would become West Jefferson began in 1779 when North Carolina's Governor Richard Caswell granted three hundred twenty acres to Colonel Ben Cleveland, who battled the British at King's Mountain.
Charter
Early Development
Government
The Town of West Jefferson operates at the direction of a five-member Board of Aldermen. The Mayor and Aldermen are elected to four-year, staggered terms. The Board appoints the Town Attorney and Town Manager.
Board of Aldermen
- Russell W. Barr, III, Mayor
- Beth Shelton, Mayor ProTem
- Phil Absher, Alderman
- Brian Blanco, Alderman
- Calvin Green, Alderman
- David Miller, Alderman
Town Attorney
John B. "Jak" Reeves
Town Manager
Town Hall Staff
Rebecca Eldreth, Assistant Town Manager, Town Clerk
Heather Holdaway, Town Finance Officer
Teresa McCoy, Accounting
Technician, Water Billing
Bradley Jordan, Chief of Police
Code of Ordinances
The Town of West Jefferson compiled various ordinances that apply to the Town and can be found by clicking here.
Town Services
Town Meetings
The Board of Aldermen hold regular meetings every first Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall. Special meetings may be called with forty-eight hours public notice or may be scheduled during regular meetings. Public notice is given by posting the notice of a special meeting on Town Hall’s front door. The public is welcome to attend the Board of Aldermen’s meetings. Amendments must receive the Planning Board’s recommendation either for approval/disapproval prior to going to the Board of Aldermen for their approval/disapproval. The public is welcome to attend the Planning Board’s meetings. Minutes from town meetings are available by clicking here.
Planning Board
- Rusty Barr, Chairman
- Bob Adams, In-town Member
- Jeren Holman, In-town Member
- Melody Rector, In-town Member
- Beth Shelton, In-town Member
- James Ellis, ETJ Member
- Zeb Gambill, ETJ Member
- Vic Gammons, ETJ Member
- Phyllis Hartzog, ETJ Member
- Rick Price, ETJ Member
- Michael Vannoy, ETJ Member
Board of Adjustment
- Phil Absher, Chairman
- Brian Blanco, In-town Member
- Calvin Green, In-town Member
- David Miller, In-town Member
- Beth Shelton, In-town Member
- James Ellis, ETJ Member
- Zeb Gambill, ETJ Member
- Vic Gammons, ETJ Member
- Phyllis Hartzog, ETJ Member
- Rick Price, ETJ Member
- Michael Vannoy, ETJ Member
As a Main Street America™ Affiliate, the Town of West Jefferson is part of a national network of neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Town of West Jefferson is a North Carolina Small Town Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. INSERT NAME OF MAIN STREET PROGRAM is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.
North Carolina Main Street Rural Planning
Center
The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center is a Main Street
America™ Coordinating Program. Main Street America™ is a program of the
nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. As one of the first Main Street America™ Coordinating
Programs designated in 1980, NC Main Street inspires placemaking
through building asset-based economic development strategies. The NC Main
Street staff is charged by the NC Department of Commerce
to facilitate downtown economic development using the Main Street America
Four-Point Approach. The Main Street Approach™ focuses on economic development
strategies to transform downtown. These strategies articulate a focused path to
revitalizing or strengthening a downtown economy. Designated NC Small Town Main
Street community’s work is organized around the Four-Point Approach: Economic
Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
Learn more about the NC Main Street & Rural
Planning Center.
The National Main Street Program | Main Street
America™
Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial
districts since 1980. Today it is a network of neighborhoods and communities,
rural and urban, that share both commitment to place and to
building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center,
a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Main Street America™ is a movement. It is the leading voice for
preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the
country. Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial
districts, Main Street America represents the broad diversity that
makes this country so unique. Working together, the programs that make up
the Main Street America network help to breathe new life into the places people
call home.