One month.
After all of the forums and the interviews, the signs, the shirts, and the billboards, and after all of the political division that has caused real social division, aka, the “cancel culture,” the people of Wheeling find themselves with imperative decisions to make in each ward and in the race for the mayor’s position.
Each of those ballots delivers an individual’s vision for the future of the Friendly City when it comes to economic development, infrastructure, safety and crime, the homeless, and much more. In many cases, litmus test questions can be asked and answered to separate one candidate from another, too.
- Will you compromise with your council colleagues?
- Would you vote to repeal the public/private camping ban for homeless individuals?
- Will you vote to increase taxes or fees for city residents?
- Are residents above the age of 50 years old still important to the future of Wheeling, W.Va.?
- Would you aggressively petition the state Department of Transportation for a new bridge from downtown Wheeling to Wheeling Island?
So, if you are planning to vote in Wheeling’s council election, listen to every word stated by the six mayoral candidates and by the ward candidates discussing the pros, cons, and needs of your city and respective ward. Take time to recognize what we have now, and what will be most important in this continuing transition from Rust Belt region to a remote-work destination during the next decade. And, for many reasons, believe the hype about the Wheeling area because a lot of it is actually true.
That’s because we possess several pieces of “The Puzzle” right now – quality education, low crime, parks, and recreation – so now the people just need to be able to work with local government so we can finally grow again.
