He knows he can make two campaign promises because he knows he can keep two campaign promises.
First, if elected, Dave Palmer, the current representative of Ward 6 on Wheeling Council, will attempt to provoke much more cooperation between the City and the Ohio County Commission than has taken place for decades.
And second …
“If I am elected, I will work toward bringing as much development as possible to Ohio County, but I will make the residents this promise … I will not vote to name a street after myself.”
Palmer retired from the Wheeling Fire Department 10 years ago as chief fire investigator and is now a bus driver for Ohio County Schools. The Republican ran unopposed in 2020 for a second term on Wheeling Council, but now he wishes to represent all residents of Ohio County because he believes there is untapped potential most are unable to see.
“That’s why I do want to try this thing that apparently is very different to the people, and it’s called cooperation,” Palmer said with a sarcastic grin. “When I mention cooperation as one of my goals, I get a lot of laughter and I get a lot of odd looks. I tell people that it’s not going to magically appear because that’s not how cooperation works. I need the help from the voters to place me in a position where I can spur the kind of cooperation I believe both the City and the County need right now.
“If there is one thing I have learned as a member of Wheeling Council is that you have to be able to cooperate and communicate for anything positive to happen. That’s just the way government works on all levels, and I believe it can still work that way on the city and county levels,” he said. “There has been some cooperation between the City and the County, but there could be a whole lot more and wow, what a difference it would make for the residents of Ohio County.”
The two commissioners Palmer hopes to join include Zach Abraham and Don Nickerson, neither of whom have as extensive experience working for and with the City of Wheeling.
“If the voters see fit to vote me in as a commissioner, I would be the member who would know the ins and outs of how the City operates, and that would be a good thing when it comes to establishing partnerships in the future. It would help everyone save time, too, because I would know immediately if an idea were possible just because I’m familiar with how the City goes about what they do on a daily basis,” Palmer explained. “I believe that knowledge will allow cooperation to become part of the norm in Ohio County.”
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The candidate has visited several neighborhoods in Ohio County since announcing his candidacy in January 2022, and he’s included that old fashioned practice in his campaign because Covid-19 limited personal interaction during the election cycle two years ago.
Palmer, in fact, dressed as Santa Claus and cruised the streets of Ward 6 in December 2020 to provide children and their parents at least a few minutes of Christmas spirit.
“When I’m out and about and someone answers the door, I get the impression people are pleased to meet the candidate,” Palmer said. “They want to talk to the candidate because they don’t like it when someone just puts literature on their porch before they just walk away. People have questions and they want to be engaged.
“When I’ve been knocking in the City of Wheeling, I’ve fielded a lot of city-related questions, and that’s fine because those conversations have allowed me to qualify a lot of the differences that do exist when it comes to City and County responsibilities,” he continued. “I feel this is a very important race when it comes to the future of Ohio County because of direction and what’s possible in the future if new ideas are investigated and new directions are taken.”
According to county records, Ohio County was home to 26,633 registered voters, including 9,984 Republicans, 9,542 Democrats, and 7,107 Independents. In 2018, the most recent midterm cycle, 55.22 percent of those registered voters decided to vote. Palmer is hoping for an even higher percentage this time around because he believes Ohio County is at a crossroads.
“I have voted since the first election day after I was old enough and registered, and it’s something I have taken very seriously since then,” Palmer said. “Voting is very, very important and that’s why the low turnouts that we’ve had have disgusted me. It’s a great right we have here in the United States, and unfortunately, it’s a right people have taken for granted for far too long. I hope I get to see that turnaround.
“We’ll have plenty of races and issues on the ballot come Election Day, and everything is important to our future and to the future of the area, and that’s a big deal,” the candidate added. “Ohio County, right now, is in a position where we can be proactive and work to add population, or we can continue sitting on our collective hands and continue to watch the number decline. I’m running so we can move forward and see more progress because this is my home and all I want to do is to help make a better place for all of us to live.”
