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David Bowers and Terry McAuliffe

Former Democratic National Committee chairman and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe is never one to let an opportunity pass without action.

This morning, when he walked into a Roanoke City Council meeting only to realize council members were in the middle of a two-hour budget briefing, McAuliffe said, “If you’d elected me governor you wouldn’t be worrying about revenue anymore.”

The council continued its meeting, minus Mayor David Bowers, who walked outside to talk local budgeting with McAuliffe before inviting him up to his office on the fourth floor. Presumably McAuliffe got a chance to sit briefly in the catbird seat.

Bowers eventually returned to the meeting — followed a little later by McAuliffe.

Terry McAuliffe talks to the Roanoke City Council during a break on Monday.

“He wants to speak for just a few minutes,” Bowers told council members. “I know he has another appointment. I wanted him to say hello to us.

“Welcome to Roanoke: I know you’ve had a chance to travel around the commonwealth and hear all the gripes and complaints from local governments about the lack of funds.”

McAuliffe mentioned a couple of his projects, including a bid to purchase International Paper Co.’s mill outside of Franklin and turn it into a biomass plant, as well as his acquisition of a Chinese company that builds electric cars.

McAuliffe alluded to his 2009 run for governor, when he and Brian Moran were bested in the Democratic primary by Creigh Deeds, who lost in the general election to Bob McDonnell.

“I ran a campaign for governor,” McAuliffe said. “I said, ‘I’m going to run on big ideas. If you don’t like it, don’t vote for me.’ And you didn’t.”

McAuliffe complimented the council on Roanoke, as well as its use of a 2-cent-per-dollar meals tax increase last year to supplement its funding for city schools.

He closed by saying, “Greatest city in Virginia. And I don’t say that often.”

McAuliffe, who spent the morning in a coffee klatch and viewing the city’s electric car, then left for a lunch at Montano’s.