October 4, 2026
Mayor Lori Athey Cockrell on Water, Economic Development and the Rail Trail
Royal Examiner reporter Mike McCool interviewed Mayor Lori Athey Cockrell at the October 4 gathering of Republican-endorsed candidates in downtown Front Royal. Cockrell, Front Royal's first woman elected mayor, is seeking another two-year term.
Her top priorities are securing a secondary water source, strengthening economic development, and moving the Shenandoah Rail Trail forward. On the data center debate, she said the council consensus is against them, and that listening to residents comes first: "If you're an elected official, your job is to listen to the people."
She sees economic development as the way to fund schools and services without raising taxes.