Port Royal Mayor Jim Heimbech, with grandson Gilbert, off to mow the walking paths in the Port Royal unit of the National Wildlife Refuge. (Contributed photo)
Mayor Jim Heimbach has a tough act to follow. After 12 years in office, his predecessor Nancy Long won the Port Royal seat on the Board of Supervisors, a new job she began this month.
Heimbach’s four years as vice-mayor prepared him for the step up when he was nominated by Gladys Fortune and elected unanimously.
All local citizens vote for the seven members of the town council, which then chooses the mayor from among their group.
“I really don’t have any more power than anyone else on the council,” Heimbach said. “I preside at meetings, similar to being the chairperson of a board. I only have one vote.” He also represents the town on ceremonial occasions, such as ribbon cuttings.
Heimbach has lived and worked for the past eight years in Port Royal, where he runs his own business testing foods, food products and ingredients for companies seeking FDA approval. His clients include American and international manufacturers, law firms and trade associations. In 17 years as a nutritional counselor, he also has published several scientific articles on health and safety issues.
Long said she felt it was time for her to move on, as she supports a term limit for town council and mayoral positions, “so no one gets too much power and it’s not always the same old voice.” She suggests a maximum of eight years, or four consecutive terms.
In office from 2003 through 2015, Long worked with the council to obtain grants for the pier at the end of King Street, the only public access to the Rappahannock River in Caroline County. The district also received a grant/loan award from the Virginia Department of Health to replace the water storage facility, and has seen a recent influx of new businesses.
“It’s easier to leave when you’re on an upswing,” she said.
“She left the town in great shape,” Heimbach agreed, adding that heplans to keep moving ahead. “We need to manage growth. We don’t want to stop it, but we need to get better control of zoning. With the council, none of us can take sole credit for anything, but Bill Wick and I put a lot of work into increasing the boundary for Port Royal.”
As for her new position on the BOS, Long said she hopes to encourage better communication with state representatives, and to serve Caroline according to her Golden Rule: “to protect the lives and rights of the citizens, to treat them as I would want to be treated.”
CP Staff Report
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