Reed re-appointed mayor

Fleming vice mayor; new member Alsaadun welcomed

Mayor Deanna Reed was re-appointed to her position today (1/1/25) in a 4-1 vote, the first non-unanimous vote for the position in many years.

Council member Monica Robinson voted no on Reed’s re-appointment. Reed and Robinson’s relationship has long been marked by personal and policy differences.

This is Reed’s fifth 2-year term as mayor, making her one of the longest-serving mayors in the city’s history.

Dany Fleming was appointed vice mayor in a unanimous vote.

Fleming is in the middle of his first term as a council member. He had previously served on the School Board, but resigned in the face of legal action charging that he filed false documentation to get on the ballot.

This was the first meeting for Nasser Alsaadun, the first refugee elected to the council. Alsaadun, founder of the Babylon restaurant and store, is a native of Basra, Iraq, and has been raising a family in Harrisonburg for almost 20 years.

Fleming incorrectly identified Alsaadun as the first immigrant elected to council. He is the second, after Sal Romero, who served on council 2019-2023. Romero, a native of central Mexico, is the chief of staff for the Harrisonburg City Public Schools administration.