WHEELING – A new city councilman will be taking the Ward 1 seat in July after voters select their representative in the upcoming May 14 municipal election.

Current Ward 1 and Vice Mayor Chad Thalman is currently completing his second term in office and is not seeking re-election to the ward seat, as he is instead running for mayor.

Five names will appear on the ballots in the Ward 1 race, although according to the City Clerk’s office, candidate Josh Becker has withdrawn from the contest. The winner of the race will represent Ward 1 neighborhoods of Warwood, North Park and the upper section of Glenwood. Candidates Paul Alig Sr., Tony Assaro, J. Anthony Edmund Jr. and Zeke Tuel are those seeking the council seat.

Alig, 72, is a lifelong Warwood resident who had three children and an adopted son, and all of them graduated from West Liberty University. Tragically, his middle son died. He has five grandkids, and he and his wife, Barb, reside with their 4-year-old foster daughter.

A Corpus Christi Grade School and Warwood High School grad, Alig worked as a mechanic at Valley Camp coal mine. After the mine closed down, he worked a number of years as a welder, then got on at the West Virginia Division of Highways’ bridge department. Alig later served as a heavy maintenance employee, working as a welder and crew leader for the entire district before retiring after 30 years with the WVDOH.

He coached little league baseball through the years living in Warwood, and since his retirement, he has worked on the maintenance and grounds crew at the Oglebay Good Zoo.

He said his deep roots in the neighborhood give him an advantage in the race.

“It’s a family-oriented area of Wheeling,” Alig said. “I know Warwood like the back of my hand.”

Alig said he has had a desire to run for city council for a number years, but in recent elections, candidates he knew like Thalman and Gloria Delbrugge chose to run for the Ward 1 seat – and he decided to throw his support behind them instead of throwing his own hat in the ring.

His top priorities include taking care of roads, lighting and slips. He added that the city needs to work with the state to get the speed limit on W.Va. 2 lowered.

“It’s residential from one end to the other, and it’s not that wide,” he said. “I know people at the state – I worked with them for 30 years, and some of them are still there.”

Weather-related slips, erosion and washouts have caused problems that need to be addressed in the neighborhood. The city also needs to crack down on illegal drug activity in order to make Wheeling and its neighborhoods an ideal place for families, he said.

“I know Warwood – it’s a nice place to live and raise your kids,” he said, adding that opioid and other drug problems need to be taken out of neighborhoods in town.

The ongoing issue with homelessness in Wheeling is also a key issue.

“We’re getting people from other areas coming to Wheeling,” Alig noted. “Some of them have no desire to get a job, pay rent and join society. They’re getting free handouts. They expect it.”

Alig said there seems to be no incentives in place for homeless individuals in Wheeling to better themselves or earn what they are given. There’s no reason for them to move on, he said, and it seems ironic that some people pushing the issue about catering to the homeless won’t let them stay on their own properties.

“Somebody has to put their foot down,” Alig said, noting that he supports Becky Shilling-Rodocker, executive director of the Greater Wheeling Soup Kitchen, and the efforts of people who truly help those in need. But he indicated that the city needs to put a stop to situations that enable continued homelessness.

Assaro, 59, is married with two children and three grandchildren.

“I’ve been working to improve the community I live in for the past 10 years, and I want to take that work even further,” Assaro said. “I got involved in my community because I looked around my neighborhood and saw things were going downhill, and I wanted to do something about it. So, I started organizing the community.”

Assaro said he started with the Warwood Terrace Community Association in his neighborhood of 100 homes.

“Then we grew to the Grow Warwood Pride Community Association, which the (Warwood) Farmers Market spun off from that,” Assaro said. “We’ve also got a community garden we’re starting at Third Street, so there are many things I’ve been doing community-wise to drive improvements in my area. I’ve done things like getting the neighbors together to go to city council to get roads paved.”

Quality of life in Wheeling’s neighborhoods is a top priority for Assaro.

“The ball fields, the infrastructure, the little things that when you’re looking out your door, that’s where I started while getting my neighborhood cleaned up,” he said. “Infrastructure is the second priority because you’ve got to live in a good environment. If you don’t have healthy neighborhoods, you’re not going to have a healthy city. That’s the angle I’ve always had. Start with the ground level in your neighborhood. You get that going, and everything else starts to fall in line.”

Assaro indicated that his track record for getting things done helps give him an edge in the council race.

“I have experience going to the city to get things done,” Assaro said. “During drainage issues when my neighbors were told ‘no’ by the city, my neighborhood banded together. I organized them, and we got those taken care of with a tariff. My neighborhood getting our road paved is another example of us getting something done even though initially we were told ‘no.’ I’ve already been used to working with the city on projects because there’s a whole slew of things that I’ve gotten done.”

Getting the community engaged is always a challenge, Assaro noted, but he said it’s a vital component when it comes to helping neighborhoods to thrive.

“If your neighbors work together on projects, that’s three-quarters of the battle,” Assaro said. “There’s a difference between having a group of homes and having a neighborhood. Everything I’ve done is to push (communities) to turn them into neighborhoods. You need to have your community working for things, like a community garden, painting fences and all those things.”

Edmond, 39, was born and raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills. He went to college and law school in Pittsburgh, then began working in Wheeling in 2011. After commuting for two years, he moved to the Ohio Valley in 2013.

“Ultimately my wife and I bought a house in Warwood in 2015,” Edmond said, noting that they and their two kids have lived in Warwood since then.

In August 2016, he started the law office of Edmond & Baum with his partner, Michael Baum, and they have been located downtown since 2017. He also serves as secretary on the board of directors for Laughlin Memorial Chapel.

“I wanted to be a part of making this city better,” Edmund said. “I think it’s very easy to sit idly by and complain about one thing or another, but it’s another thing to want to be part of the solution to those problems. I think I have something to contribute to this wonderful city, and if given the chance I’d like to prove it.”

Edmund said he wants to help make the city a source of pride for all residents.

“Wheeling is where my children are from, and I want to do my part to ensure Wheeling is a place they can be proud to call their hometown,” he said. “I want there to be opportunities for them, and others, to want to be here, stay here and be successful here because they want to be. And if it’s better for them, then Wheeling will be better for all.”

He said he also wanted to make sure the voices of the people in his ward are heard, and he vowed to listen to their concerns and work collaboratively toward solutions.

Being a person who chose to move to Wheeling to start a family and a career gives him a unique perspective, Edmund noted.

“I think the advantage to that is I am living proof that someone can move here, set up roots here, start and run a successful business here, raise a family here, and have pride in the city despite not being from here,” he said. “I think Wheeling’s best asset is its people. If we all work together, tap into the spirit of pride in the city that emanates from the citizens here, Wheeling can reach its full potential.”

Wheeling faces challenges of vacant buildings – both residential and commercial – as well as aging infrastructure, Edmund said, stressing that an open line of communication with everyone from property owners to business owners is key to addressing many of these issues.

Edmund added that the city needs to make sure potential business owners have access to all resources available to help them succeed, are informed of what spaces are available and know what areas are zoned appropriately for their needs.

“I think small businesses being able to flourish is good for the owners themselves, as well as the community at-large,” Edmund said. “This also encourages stability in the neighborhood, which in turn results in pride in one’s community.”

An improved tax base can help fund future infrastructure improvements, Edmund added.

“Everywhere I go in Wheeling, I see nothing but greatness and potential greatness,” he said. “If the people of my ward do me the honor of electing me to represent them, I promise to never forget my purpose – and that is to serve them.”

Tuel, 45, is a Warwood resident, family man and also a newcomer to public service who is eager to step up and represent the neighborhood and his fellow community members.

“I come from a great family that has taught me to be myself and stand up for what I believe in,” Tuel said. “I am a devoted father and caring citizen of this great city. I have never served as a public representative, but in my heart I know I can make decisions that will be in the best interest of the great constituents of Ward 1 and the city of Wheeling.”

Tuel noted that there will be a changing of the guard in this ward, as its council representative for the past eight years is now running for mayor – which means there is no incumbent in this race.

“The people in Ward 1 are in need fresh and responsible representation due to the changes in leadership of both the city and this community, and I want to make sure that comes to fruition so everyone can be equally represented,” he said, noting that he knows what it takes to be part of a team and to make tough decisions “while always standing my ground if the issues in question are or are not in the best interest of this great community and for the city.”

There are issues in the neighborhood that need to be addressed, and there are also great assets, too, the candidate noted.

“First and foremost, I have come to understand that there are problems in Warwood where the citizens are experiencing water discoloration issues on a regular basis, so that I will address,” Tuel said. “Secondly, the great Warwood Lions Club does tremendous things for the community and are in need of city help to build upgrades and improve Garden Park for the benefit of all children and families which is of great importance to myself in being a father.”

Tuel said he looks forward to being part of a collaborative effort to move the city of Wheeling forward.

“We face challenges every day as a community, and if you elect me, I promise to be there to help in any way possible,” Tuel said. “I am a regular person like everyone else, and I deeply care about this community and this city. I have the intelligence and skills to be a great representative for every citizen, and my number one goal is to make sure this city is on the right path to ensure a prosperous, safe and secure future for all.”

The winner of the Ward 1 race will take office in July.