Joseph C. Ritchie was the mayor of Newport News, Virginia for ten years, from July 1, 1976[1] to June 30, 1986.
Ritchie's decade as mayor saw significant[quantify] growth in the city.
[citation needed] Ritchie himself considered the lowering of tax rates, a cause with which he was particularly involved in, to be key to growth in the city during this time.
[2] After serving as mayor, Ritchie returned to his career as a contractor, as owner and CEO of the Ritchie-Curbow Construction Company.
[3] The company is responsible for building several sites of interest in the Hampton Roads area.