Councilmen Take Look at First Year
Trio of Wheeling’s leaders reflect upon service to cityBy JOSELYN KING
Article Photos
WHEELING - Today marks one year on the job for freshmen Wheeling City Council members James Tiu, Gene Fahey and Donald Atkinson.
On July 1, 2008, the trio took their seats alongside veteran council members Vernon Seals, Herk Henry and Gloria Delbrugge.
Since that time, council has embarked on policies to change the city's charter through "home rule" initiatives; to spur downtown development by assisting with the purchase of the Capitol Music Hall; and to reduce the size of city government.
All three freshman council members said they have thus far enjoyed their service to the city.
- Seeking a seat on city council was Tiu's first effort at running for public office, and he's discovered the job becomes him.
"Public service suits me," Tiu said. "There will always be issues. I am satisfied when we can help the city's resources come together for individual residents. If we can find a better way to do something for everybody, then I'm very satisfied when we can do it."
He said he feels privileged to serve the people of the Fourth Ward.
"People feel comfortable about approaching me," Tiu said. "And they are frank and concise in their comments about the ward. I take every constituent request from those in my ward very seriously. I take any resident's opinion - if it's on a city-wide issue - very seriously."
Most of the comments Tiu said he receives are about "nuts and bolts" issues, such as police coverage, potholes, paving requests and playground repairs.
"That's what happens when people take a look at their neighborhood," Tiu said. "They wonder, 'What can we do to make it better?'"
And Tiu said that as a councilman, he has learned he must "remain flexible" and to consider all points on matters before him.
"Each new issue has its own concerns," Tiu said. "I'm more willing to hear what people have to say than to form an opinion immediately. That is what has opened my eyes about public service."
When Tiu first ran for office, his platform was one that focused on entrepreneurialship, recruitment and retention.
"And taking that approach has helped me immensely," he said. "I have enjoyed being on council. I hope residents think I'm doing a good job. I enjoy public service."
- Fahey, who serves as Wheeling's vice mayor, said his first year on council was "primarily what I expected."
"I wanted to see city government move toward making things simple and fair," he said. "And I think we did that."
He pointed to the recent reduction of businesses licenses needed in Wheeling, and to proposed changes in the city's fire fee structure. Council soon will consider an ordinance that will eliminate the $10 fire fee on each vehicle in the city, while increasing by $10 a fire fee for homeowners.
"All is in the same goal of having a city with a government that is simple and fair," Fahey said. "I hope we can continue forward. There are some real positives that have occurred in the past year."
But the biggest challenge facing council is determining "what is the right size government" without compromising services, according to Fahey. Job reductions will likely occur through attrition, he noted.
"Personally, I do not want to see someone lose their job," he said. "Some positions can be taken out without anybody losing their job."
This past year, council eliminated 13 unfilled positions on the city payroll, including jobs on the fire, police and public works departments.
Fahey said his proudest moment as a councilman came when the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau purchased the historic Capitol Music Hall in the downtown.
"It was a monumental day for Wheeling's future," he noted. "It's where the rubber met the road in terms of revitalization, and it's going to be a key to development of the downtown."
Fahey said he has enjoyed the process of city government, and watching how a germ of an idea comes to fruition.
One such idea was the creation of the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority to oversee day-to-day operations at WesBanco Arena and the Capitol Music Hall, Fahey said.
"I'd like to see us go forward, implement as much technology as we can, and become paperless," he said.
- For Atkinson, the life of a councilman is a lot busier than he expected.
"There are a lot of functions and tours of local businesses," he said. "You don't have to go, but you should go."
However, he said he wished the pace of city government moved faster.
"I found that government moves very slowly," Atkinson said. "Going in, you want to make changes, and you just can't do it. You want to get buildings torn down and things cleaned up. You don't realize that it takes two years to get a building torn down."
He predicts there will be more progress in redeveloping downtown Wheeling in the coming months.
"Some things will happen," Atkinson said. "The Capitol was a super start. It was on everyone's list of to-do's."
He said the best part of the job thus far has been meeting many of the city's residents.
"There are a lot of people who are pro-Wheeling, and they want to make things change," Atkinson noted. "It's been a lot of fun, and I've learned a ton. I've met a lot of great people. I think we're getting some of the negativity turned around in the town."
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wv26003
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07-02-09 7:44 PM
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Guess what, Ellis. You're powerless to stop abortion. Deal with it. Choice is freedom. If you want to live in a nation where government regulates pregnancy, move to China.
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Captain
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07-02-09 6:05 PM
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<sigh> I'd hoped to come to this site for intellectual interaction with people who know how to post thought that actually pertain to the issue at hand. Leave it to this right-wing fundamentalist whacko to drag his personal agenda into any captive audience.
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EllisWyatt
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07-02-09 5:52 PM
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wv26003 No, Republicans do not hate life. It is Democrats, as I recall, who have happily presided over the slaughter of 50 million babies in this country. It is Republicans who have fought to protect life. It is Democrats who have fought to take life. Why should we expect anything less from the left-wing Democrats? Socialists such as Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao and Pol Pot murdered at least 100 million human beings. Today's Democrats are trying to live up to their heroes' actions.
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wv26003
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07-02-09 3:37 PM
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Do all Republicans hate life or just the ones connected to Wheeling?
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Captain
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07-02-09 1:08 PM
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I like my councilman, Tiu. I wonder, however, if he will begin to return emails and telephone calls from his constituents? Thus far, he either ignores them or perhaps cannot type or dial the phone.
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GETACLUE
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07-02-09 8:19 AM
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Tiu is a great council member he never wants to rush in and always wants full disclosure when making any kind of decision. Fahey and Atkinson are just Andy Mckenzie yes men. They have no capacity to think for themselves. They just vote the way Andy tells them to.
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EllisWyatt
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07-02-09 7:10 AM
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rockdrummer Those who vote, live, work or pay taxes in Wheeling have a right to criticize the politicians who are supposed to serve them. Elected office does not entitle you to a critic-free life. Some local pols have used their office to enrich themselves and their cronies. Others have kissed up to public employees at taxpayer expense. Still others have demonstrated that they have ZERO understanding of what it takes to build a viable community (meaning: tax base). Mr. Tiu certainly seems like an intelligent man. I believe he ran a business in DC and so he understands the challenges faced by businesses. He also seems to grasp the beauty of for profit over non-profit (jobs created, taxes paid). The city needs a serious wake up call.
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rockdrummer
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07-01-09 10:33 PM
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I wonder how many of you critics offer anything other than critical remarks on an anonymous board? Did any of you run for office with all of your spectacular ideas? Oh, wait, there are no ideas on here, just name calling and dumb innuendoes.
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PCGS70
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07-01-09 9:59 PM
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Those guys are a bunch of crooks. There is no excuse for some of the garbage they are doing to the citizens of the city of Wheeling. Worthless scum.
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mernie
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07-01-09 6:22 PM
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They are just getting started, but let's find those businesses to locate in Wheeling. Market, market, market.
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atoddh
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07-01-09 6:10 PM
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Mr.Tiu is an exceptional - and much needed - new voice of reality and reason for the City. He should be Mayor. The decline of W-P is a very serious matter that is not being addressed as yet. Business as usual is not going to work in the future. Millions of permanent lost payroll are coming. Mr. Tiu was the lone rational voice is pointing out the probable public losses on the Capital to which the City diverted ALL of their Federal money despite a NEGATIVE feasibility study for the project. Mr. Tiu is certainly the rising star of City Government.
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VincentVega
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07-01-09 4:26 PM
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Newly elected members appear to be much less interested in self-serving positions, and Tiu demonstrates a remarkable and refreshing honest intellect not heretofore among city leadership.
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PCGS70
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07-01-09 10:50 AM
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It doesn't take 2 years to tear down a building. It takes 2 weeks. It's been done before and it can be done most times on most buildings that need tore down.
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cory1978
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07-01-09 10:37 AM
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the only new freshman so far to have some decent ideas is Tiu imho.
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Mchaz2009
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07-01-09 10:00 AM
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How is buying the Capital progress? What businesses will it attract? Just curious! Waste of time and money.
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acousticportal
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07-01-09 9:32 AM
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Congratulations to the people of Wheeling and the area. Good job council for not letting the nay-sayers impede progress. Stay focused and determined to cultivate a welcoming business atmosphere in Wheeling.
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tmoore
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07-01-09 8:51 AM
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Doing same as Obie Hussein. Will try to tax you out of your last breath to give it to someone else who doesnt want to work.
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EllisWyatt
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07-01-09 7:12 AM
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This statement alone disqualified Atkinson from ever holding a job in which he is responsible for tax dollars: "The Capitol was a super start. It was on everyone's list of to-do's". When, oh when, are politicians going to realize that a city cannot survive without a viable tax base and that retail and non-profits do not a viable tax base make? Where are the efforts to bribe Fortune 500 companies to move in? Where are the fights for tax, tort, comp and regulatory reform? Where are the tax breaks for new businesses? You cannot continue to fund the City of Wheeling with retail and non-profit jobs. At some point, you have to bring in new business OR cut spending. You can't have it both ways.
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