Buena Vista native holds onto city council seat

By Julia Gsell

John Dyer won the seat in Buena Vista’s special city council election Tuesday night with 52.8 percent of the vote.

Dyer, the incumbent, was opposed for the seat by Tyson Cooper. Cooper lost to Dyer by 152 votes. The city held this election to let citizens decide who would serve the last year of Mayor Larry Tolley’s term on city council.

Tolley had to give up his seat on council last year because he was elected mayor. But, he still had two years left of his four-year term. Dyer was appointed last year to a one-year interim term to fill one of those years.

Now, Dyer will serve until January 2018, serving the last year of Tolley’s council term.

A Buena Vista native and Parry McCluer High School sports hero, Dyer moved back to BV in 2015 after being away for almost 30 years. He runs a small residential renovation business in BV.

Before attending Southern Virginia University and graduating in 2007, Cooper grew up in Washington State. After graduation, he and his wife, whom he met at SVU, were offered jobs in California.

Both chose to stay in BV to work for the university. He’s been living in Buena Vista with his wife and family for 10 years now.

During his one-year term, Dyer will help the council work to improve economic development, tourism, and BV’s relationship with surrounding counties, he said.

Dyer said his past experience on council taught him to use common sense. He is not afraid to go against the majority, he said.