From the very beginning, Kathryn Thalman’s political career was fast-tracked.
Her campaign was just a few months, and after a decisive victory in early November Thalman had a mere seven weeks to prepare for her first say as the new mayor of St. Clairsville. That was Jan. 2, and it’s been a month, and already she’s learned the hard lesson about how municipal government must operate under Ohio Revised Code.
There’s no more fast-tracking, at least most of the time, but especially when it comes to a created position with a living-wage salary and benefits.
“I’ll admit that my proposal wasn’t met with the level of enthusiasm I had hoped it would be met with, but it’s a vision, and it’s a 50-year vision, and that’s what my idea is all about, and it’s why I asked for immediate action for our council members,” Thalman said. “My only agenda is to get St. Clairsville prepared for the amount of development this area is soon to see, but I also realize it’s going to be a slower process than I had hoped.
“If council approves, the director of development is someone who will not only help with the internal operations, but also someone who will turn over the many rocks involved and figure out how to get this city’s government back in accordance with Ohio Revised Code and our own city charter,” she explained. “Plus, we need someone to be the voice and the face of St. Clairsville and to go out there and promote what our city has to offer.”
Change Is Bad
Slogans like, “Business Friendly” and “Open for Business” make some St. Clairsville residents nervous, Thalman believes, so filling vacant storefronts and homes-for-sale, and facilitating the development of large parcels of land within city limits are, to some, bad ideas.
Traffic. Lines at the courthouse. Parking at Riesbeck’s.
“I have had some people tell me that they like St. Clairsville the way it is, and I tell them that they can either embrace it or push it away, but change is coming, and I explain to them that I would like us to be a responsible part of it,” explained Thalman, a resident since 1985. “I want St. Clairsville to remain that “Paradise on the Hill,” but in order to do that, we have to be ready to grow. I just want us to attract those folks who are making a good living and want to be great residents of our city.
“It’s also important for us to gain residents because we are too close to losing our city status, and if that happens, we lose a lot of state and federal funding because those formulas are based on population,” she said. “There are a lot of houses for sale or rent in our city, and I would like to see those residences get occupied so we can see our tax generation increase.”
Her Word
She got mad, so she filed to run for mayor, and Thalman told the voters about the importance of inclusivity when it comes to the operation of everything involved with St. Clairsville. She’s been pleased with proof her new constituents took the pledge seriously.
“I’ve just had a lot of people who have wanted to bring things to my attention, and that was my goal in the first place, so of course I have spent as much of my time as possible meeting with those people,” Thalman said. “And I’m also in the process of prioritizing what needs to be looked at, and along the way I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of wonderful people with some really great ideas.
“It’s all about wanting to see this city move into the future, but I will admit, it’s been like getting shot out of a cannon during this first month in office,” she said with a laugh. “I love the job, I love learning everything I’ve been learning, and I can’t wait until this process is past us so we can start moving forward.”
But what about that pesky water department issue? Oh wait, there’s more, especially since the EPA is far more involved than before and because of the contractual agreements made by the former mayor and council.
“I promised that we would look at all of the alternatives and that’s the process we’re in the middle of right now,” Thalman said. “We’re going to get an independent study performed because that’s what our citizens wanted because they want to know the absolutely best option for this city. That includes possibly getting water from another water department like Martins Ferry or Bellaire.
“We’re doing what we promised we would do, and this time everyone who wants to know the details will be welcomed into the conversation. That’s what this is about to me. I ran so everyone could be involved,” she added. “We’ll bring everyone to the table who wants to be there when it comes to making a final decision on our water service issue, and we’ll do the same with everything else, too.”
