City Of Covington Issues Statement On The Business Community   Covington, VA (Sept. 7, 2021) - Near the end of the Covington City Council's work session on Tuesday evening, mayor Tom Sibold read the following statement: "The City of Covington and the Alleghany Highlands region enjoy a strong community bond because of the strength of our relationships among the corporate business community, the region's residents and the city's local government. We would not be who were are today without many of our local businesses, small to large. "WestRock is a vital part of our community and the lifeblood of so many of our residents. The company truly is at the core of who we are as a region. Importantly, the company's involvement in our community has been vital to our schools, local organizations, and neighborhoods. "We, the Covington City Council, want to assure WestRock, its employees, and its supporters that we do not take your presence here for granted. The comments made by a local elected official recently were not made on behalf of the city nor do they reflect how the City Council and other city leadership feel about the company. Collectively we deeply value WestRock and we apologize for the comments that were made. "The Covington City Council, city manager, and Alleghany Highlands regional recognize how important it is to maintain these strong bonds with our business community. It is critical to ensuring success today and a strongerr future for our region. "As we move forward with aggressive plans for pomoting economic growth throughout the Alleghany Highlands region and revitalizing Olde Town Covington, we realize that the success of these initiatives depends on the public-private partnerships in our region. Only together can we keep our community moving forward, providing opportunities for our esidents and bsinesses. Our regional partnerships provide a strong foundation upon which to build a successsful future. "The City of Covington places a high value on the corporate community of the Alleghany Highlands regon, and WestRock is an important part of that. It is our intention to work more closely and intentiaonally on these partnerships as we move forward with majorinitiatives to improve our city and region." * * * * * * * Editor's note: this statement from the city is a reference to an earlier statement made by the city's treasurer that appeared at a meeting on Tuesday, July 13th. Here is a link to the video of the mayor's statement: Covington Mayor's Apology

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