Candidates Face Off at Forum

By CASEY JUNKINS And JOSELYN KING Staff Writers


WHEELING — Mayoral candidate Andy McKenzie believes he is the candidate who can bridge the cooperation gap between Wheeling and Ohio County. His opponent, Tony Domenick, wants to construct a new city building.

With the May 13 elections for Wheeling City Council now less than a month away, McKenzie and Domenick joined with 14 other council candidates Thursday to explain their positions on a myriad of issues during the Wheeling Municipal Forum at Wheeling Jesuit University’s Troy Theater.

The Hopeful City organization teamed with The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register to co-sponsor the event. About 75 people watched the event in person with many others viewing it live on the Internet at the newspapers’ Web site, http://www.news-register.net.'>www.news-register.net.

J. Michael Myer, executive editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, reminded those in attendance of the significance of municipal elections. Myer said those currently running for United States president — U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. — cannot directly impact the lives of Wheeling residents the way the council candidates can.

Candidates for Wheeling city office covered the issues as follows:

Mayor

? Andy McKenzie — McKenzie said he is very excited to be running for mayor and said he is eager to move the city forward in fostering better relationships with both the state Legislature and Ohio County Commission.

“We need to make sure that we do not have an adversarial relationship with the county,” he said.

McKenzie also said he wants the city to make better use of federal Community Development Block Grant money by focusing the funding on large and specific projects.

? Tony Domenick — Domenick wants to see the money from the Tax Increment Financing plan that is currently pending before the West Virginia Development Office used to demolish the buildings in the 1100 block of Main and Market streets.

“If we are going to tear down those buildings, we need to have a plan for what we are going to put there, and I think we need a new city building,” he said.

Domenick said his top priority is to provide safety and security for all of the city’s residents.

1st Ward

? Candidates Gloria Delbrugge and Don Bartholomew did not participate in the forum.

2nd Ward

? Vernon Seals — Incumbent Seals said the city needs to do everything in its power to see that run-down buildings are repaired or removed. Seals said he aggressively supports the demolition of dilapidated structures.

Seals does not believe the city should provide more Business and Occupation Tax relief because the tax provides about $8 million worth of annual revenue.

“I will not tell you what you want to hear, but I will tell you what you need to hear,” he said.

? Irene Cross — Cross said the most important thing for the new council is to have a positive attitude that will promote hope and unity.

“When I knock on doors in downtown Wheeling and East Wheeling, I see people who need hope and encouragement,” she said.

Cross said she is a real “hillbilly,” and she believes in the “heartbeat” of Wheeling.

? R. Barry Boyd — Boyd said the most important job of City Council is to attract high-quality jobs to the city.

“People are not going to move to Wheeling to work at places like Wal-Mart or Target, so we need to be out there doing everything we can to attract high-tech jobs for the future,” he said.

Boyd said he will not sit around and wait for jobs to come to Wheeling, but will be out front to lead the effort to attract the better jobs to the city.

? Charles Ballouz — Ballouz said he has previously run for city office many times because he believes in the city, and knows what the problems are.

“We have to zero in on the drug activity in this city by sending the police in there to make it uncomfortable for the crack dealers,” he said.

Ballouz said he also wants to encourage property owners to perform regular preventive maintenance on their buildings to prevent the structures from becoming dilapidated.

3rd Ward

? Robert “Herk” Henry — Incumbent Henry said the city is currently working to acquire a series of buildings in the 1100 block of Main and Market streets for future development.

“By doing this, we are going to clean up downtown, and open up great opportunities down along the waterfront,” he said.

Henry also said he wants to see the police department deploy more officers into the neighborhoods to see what the residents’ concerns are, and how to address them.

? Duane Ellis — Ellis said he does not support metro government because he believes it will cost millions of taxpayers’ dollars to implement.

“From what I see of it, nothing would change. They don’t even know what they want to do with it,” he said.

Ellis said although he has not seen the “pretty pictures” of the city’s downtown development plan, he knows getting the Capitol Music Hall going again is vital.

? Ted “Edwin” Maxwell — Maxwell said people need to take more pride in their communities and neighborhoods.

“I want to see a true restoration of the Friendly City,” he said.

Maxwell said he believes city officials must seek greater cooperation with churches and community organizations to achieve goals, and that returning downtown Wheeling to prominence is important.

? Chris Hamm did not participate in the forum as he was out of town on business.

4th Ward

? Brent Bush — Incumbent Bush said if re-elected, he would continue the work started by council to stimulate development in the downtown. He believes his own ward benefits from the success of the entire city.

He remembers going door-to-door with former Mayor Jack Lipphardt to raise money for a development study that resulted in the construction of Heritage Port, Heritage Square and the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center.

“What’s missing now is commercial activity,” Bush said. “But we can have a mix of non-traditional retail, services and entertainment.

“For the fifth time I am asking for the support of the voters to re-elect me to council, where I will continue to work improve the streets, sewers and recreational facilities in the 4th Ward, and to protect the historical nature of Woodsdale.

? James Tiu — Tiu said he wouldn’t be running for council if he didn’t have the experience of being a Woodsdale native, an attorney and a small business owner.

“I have a unique entrepreneurial vision,” he said. “I have seen what works in different communities. While Washington, D.C. and Wheeling may be two totally different communities, the people who live in both communities want the same things.”

The same characteristics that make Washington a desirable place in which to live can also make it less livable, Tiu added.

“We have to find the things that work in Wheeling, and sell Wheeling as a place to live,” he said.

? Candidate Derek McKee was not present at the forum.

5th Ward

? Don Atkinson — Atkinson’s vision of Wheeling includes a renovated Capitol Music Hall and fixing up other buildings in the downtown.

“Some of the buildings need torn down, some don’t,” he said. “Some still have solid floors and structures. They could be made into really cool condos or offices.”

But entertainment is what is needed to get people downtown, Atkinson said.

“The city has committed $2.5 million to repairing the Capitol, but the city cannot buy it,” he said. “It has to be run by a non-profit organization, and it shouldn’t cost us much to run it. The Capitol has to come back, and it has to be run properly.”

? Bill Haught — Haught is a businessman who says the city’s financial numbers show that it is “being run as a business.”

“But council needs to be more in touch with the community,” he said. “People show up to council meetings with ideas, and they feel as if they are not being listened to. As a councilman, I feel that I would be just the representative to carry your ideas into the chamber.”

Haught said Wheeling is never again going to be a shopping hub.

“The first thing we have to do is get the Capitol open again,” he said. “If we put a rest in peace sign on the door, that says the city is giving up. Then we have to work on the 1100 block and make it marketable in some way. We will either have to renovate or demolish the buildings.”

? Mark Seitz — Seitz said the biggest challenge facing downtown Wheeling is “to make it livable again.”

He proposes turning many of Wheeling’s vacant downtown buildings into condominiums and marketing them to baby boomers.

“If we get people living there, this enhances the environment,” Seitz said. “People outside the area will see us as an attractive community, and that they can relocate their business here.”

Seitz also wants to create a new position in city government. This employee would be charged with answering all questions about business in the city, making it more convenient to those wanting to set up shop in downtown Wheeling.

“I’ve heard that it is much more complicated in our community to do business, and that it is not business friendly,” he said.

? Candidate Manny Velez did not attend.

6th Ward

? Barry Crow — Incumbent Crow said Wheeling’s plan for development is simple — renovate the Capitol Music Hall, take advantage of waterfront opportunities and develop the 1100 block of Main and Market streets.

“The 1100 block has been a deterrent to development,” he said. “We’ve known that for a long time.”

The city has to work to get rid of dilapidated buildings in the downtown, Crow added. He said the city has spent more than $2 million tearing down these properties.

“When dilapidated properties are condemned, they sit for years,” Crow said. “We tear them down, put a lien on them, but we don’t get our money back. With home rule, we will be able to collect on liens. We can put the properties up for bid at a sheriff’s sale.”

? Gene Fahey — Fahey is a proponent of metro government, and of the city and county working together to combine services.

He recently found a stack of newspapers dating back to 1974, one of which had a headline calling for city and county to unite.

“We had the same problems a generation ago,” he said. “We need to sit down with the county and discuss how we can combine what we both separately offer and find a solution.”

And more entertainment venues are needed downtown, Fahey said.

“This will bring more people and businesses downtown, and fill up the store fronts,” he said.