Wytheville Town Council · Nov 3, 2026
Joseph E. Hand,
Jr.
Town Council member; term expires December 31, 2028Town of Wytheville
Joseph E. Hand, Jr. (Town Council member) is not on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot and will stay on the Wytheville Town Council after the election.
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Background
- About
- Town Council member since January 2025 who serves on the New River Regional Water Authority. His assignments also include the Recreation Commission.
On the record: Joseph E. Hand, Jr.
10 sourced01Town manager hiring2 sourced positions
Voted yes on waiting until after the November 2026 election to begin advertising for a permanent town manager (passed 3-2, June 2026).
Council voteWytheville Town Council minutes, June 22, 2026 · Jun 22, 2026LinkHow the council voted
Voted yes on appointing Chris Slemp as interim town manager and fire/rescue chief at a $130,000 salary (passed 5-0, December 2025).
Council voteWytheville Town Council minutes, December 8, 2025 · Dec 8, 2025LinkHow the council voted
02Council rules2 sourced positions
Moved to amend the council's rules of procedure to remove council members from involvement in staff job interviews, and voted yes (passed 3-2, August 2026).
Council voteWytheville Town Council minutes, August 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026LinkHow the council voted
as summarized in the council minutes; not a direct quote
Said the council should not take part in staff job interviews and its interview role should be limited to appointed positions.
Own statementWytheville Town Council minutes, August 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026Link
03Budget and employee pay1 sourced position
Voted no on raising the employee cost-of-living adjustment in the FY2026-27 budget from 3 percent to 4 percent (passed 4-1, May 2026).
Council voteWytheville Town Council minutes, May 26, 2026 · May 26, 2026LinkHow the council voted
04Splash pad2 sourced positions
Voted no on building a splash pad at the old bleachers site in Withers Park, with a total cost of up to $3 million if a state grant was awarded (passed 3-2, March 2026).
Council voteWytheville Town Council minutes, March 9, 2026 · Mar 9, 2026LinkHow the council voted
as summarized in the council minutes; not a direct quote
Said the splash pad should be built at the McWane Pool location because of its lower cost.
Own statementWytheville Town Council minutes, March 9, 2026 · Mar 9, 2026Link
05Monroe Street bump-outs2 sourced positions
as summarized in the council minutes; not a direct quote
Asked for an engineering expert's recommendation on the Monroe Street bump-outs before any change is made (August 2026).
Own statementWytheville Town Council minutes, August 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026Link
Voted yes on tabling the Monroe Street bump-outs and asking VDOT and the town's engineers to review them (passed 5-0, August 2026).
Council voteWytheville Town Council minutes, August 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026LinkHow the council voted
06Firearms on town property1 sourced position
as summarized in the council minutes; not a direct quote
Said he would never vote yes on the proposed firearms ordinance, which was removed from the council agenda (October 2025).
Own statementWytheville Town Council minutes, October 27, 2025 · Oct 27, 2025Link
Every claim links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works
Joseph E. Hand, Jr.: their words and their votes on the same issue
Council in staff interviews
In their words
Said the council should not take part in staff job interviews and its interview role should be limited to appointed positions.
Aug 24, 2026 ·as summarized in the council minutes; not a direct quote ·Wytheville Town Council minutes, August 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026
On the record
Moved to amend the council's rules of procedure to remove council members from involvement in staff job interviews, and voted yes (passed 3-2, August 2026).
Aug 24, 2026 ·Wytheville Town Council minutes, August 24, 2026 · Aug 24, 2026
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