Roger Leonard

Editorial Summary

Roger has been a Suffolk resident since 2002, when he and his wife Dorothy moved to their present address at: 550 North Liberty Spring Road in Suffolk. Roger is a retired submariner and left the US NAVY in 1993 to attend Graduate School. He has been in business in Suffolk area since 1991 as the owner and General Manager of the “Cardinals Pilot Shop, Inc.” an aircraft rental, supply and training company he founded. He also is the owner and Senior Analyst for “RSR Development Associates, LLC”, a project and legal research company, specializing in commercial projects. He has recently retired and to invest more of his time and efforts serving the community. Roger is an active member of the community and has written extensively as a community columnist in the local papers and has been speaking out on local public policy issues. He was a founding member of “InsideSuffolk.com”, a local blog/web-site that encourages commentary concerning the administration and governance of Suffolk and other local public policy issues. His primary advocacy has been the concern for prudent and effective administration in Suffolk and more effective general government policy. He is also an active member of the Liberty Spring Christian Church, where he attends services regularly and serves as a member of the Church Finance Committee. Roger is actively seeking the seat of Mayor as a fiscal conservative. He holds the view and has been outspoken about the unfair increases in property tax over the last eight years on our homes and the great harm it has been done to our citizens. His primary concern holds that local government now demands too much from the citizen and a more realistic approach to priorities can yield better government. Aberrations in real estate assessments have been used to unfairly increase our real estate taxes and has enabled excessive city spending. This significant shift in the cost of local government onto the backs of property owners must change if we are to keep our homes and farms. Upon taking the seat of Mayor, he proposes a budget with at least a five-percent general spending reduction and a reduction to the real estate tax from 91 cents to 81 cents. Taxes are more than adequate in Suffolk, spending has been the problem. “Needs” must be focused upon, rather than “Wants”… Roger also supports term limits on all elected and appointed seats. If honored by the voters, he has committed to serve no more than two terms. He also believes that due to the chaotic mismanagement of our local government, harm has been done to all.