Bedford County supervisor Roger Cheek won’t seek re-election

BEDFORD — Roger Cheek, vice chairman of the Bedford County Board of Supervisors, announced Monday he would not be running for re-election later this year.

Cheek, 63, represents the Huddleston district that includes parts of Smith Mountain Lake. An independent, he said he has served as supervisor for 14 years. He has the second-longest tenure on the current seven-member board behind Dale Wheeler.

Cheek said Monday during a regular board meeting that he has wrestled with the decision not to run for the past several months.

“It’s become increasingly hard to do business and stay on this board,“ said Cheek, who runs an auto repair shop on Virginia 43 about eight miles from the city of Bedford. “It’s really interfering with trying to make a living ... I’ve decided come December, I’m done.“

Cheek called his service on the board “the experience of a lifetime” and said he entered local politics because of his devotion for Bedford County. Usually quiet and reserved, he was one of the most outspoken members of the board this year to repeatedly speak against a tax increase.

“I’ve tried to represent the people,“ Cheek said. “I’ve always said I wasn’t a politician but a representative of the people.“

Supervisor Steve Arrington, who represents the Big Island district, embraced Cheek at the end of the meeting and said it was the worst news he heard all day.

He described Cheek as “probably the most respectable supervisor in Bedford County” who brings a lot to the board and would be hard to replace. He said Cheek is a great friend and a “great conservative voice” that would be missed.

Chuck Neudorfer, who represents the Moneta District, and John Sharp, the board’s chairman who represents the Forest district, are also up for re-election this year.

The deadline to file for candidacy is June 9.