WHEELING – Voters in Wheeling’s Ward 2 will decide on May 14 who will represent them on city council for the next four years beginning in July.

Incumbent Councilman Ben Seidler is running for re-election after completing his first term in office. He is challenged by fellow Ward 2 resident Carlee Dittmar. Melissa Rebholz also filed to run for city council in the Ward 2 race, but she could not be reached for this story following repeated attempts. All three of the candidates’ names will appear on the ballots.

Ward 2 includes the neighborhoods of Wheeling Island, much of the downtown, North Wheeling, Fulton and the lower portion of Glenwood.

Seidler, 42, has served Ward 2 on Wheeling City Council for the past four years.

“I am a dedicated father, working tirelessly each day to improve our community and create an environment where my children can thrive and hopefully choose to stay and raise their families,” Seidler said. “I reside on Wheeling Island and work in the private sector with a background in information technology and security.”

Representing the people of Ward 2 and working hard to get things accomplished for the community and the city as a whole have been very rewarding, Seidler noted.

“Over the past four years, the unwavering support from so many incredible individuals has been deeply humbling,” Seidler said. “Serving as your city council representative is an honor, and I work hard every single day to live up to the faith you’ve placed in me. While the ‘politics’ aspect may not be my favorite, and my view of politicians in general remains skeptical, my passion for serving my community is unwavering, and that is what drives me.”

Seidler said his priorities, if elected, will reflect the foundation of his original goals from his first campaign four years ago. He said he plans to advocate for beautiful, clean and safe neighborhoods; combat blight from dilapidated buildings and neglected property maintenance; ensure fair and proactive code enforcement with homeowners, landlords, commercial and industrial property owners and vacant building owners; support law enforcement in their efforts to reduce crime and tackle drug-related issues; and elevate the quality of life for residents, making the community appealing to prospective residents and businesses.

“Over the last four years, Ward 2’s neighborhoods have witnessed a remarkable transformation,” Seidler said. “We’ve successfully reduced our crime rate from the highest to now ranking fourth — a significant accomplishment. Approximately 150 dilapidated buildings have been demolished, numerous large-scale neighborhood cleanups have been orchestrated, and we’ve paved more streets and alleys than I can recall in my adult life.”

Seidler also championed an improved 311 citizen request tracking system at wheelingwv.gov/311, which allows people to submit and track concerns, complaints and requests across various categories to the city.

“These are real achievements that make a positive difference in the neighborhoods you live in,” he said. “I continue to reject partisan politics at the city level, which serve only to divide our community. I certainly have many concerns about the current state of our economy and our great country; however, I believe these issues should be addressed at the state and federal levels, not at city council. My focus is on bringing our community together, not dividing people.”

Seidler indicated that a good example of people in the community coming together could be seen in the face of the recent flooding, when neighborhoods faced serious challenges, and residents, agencies and the city rose to the occasion by helping one another get through the toughest of times.

“Above all, what fills me with the most encouragement is witnessing how the residents of Wheeling Island, North Wheeling, Fulton, lower Glenwood and Downtown Wheeling have come together in countless ways to uplift our community and support each other during times of transformation and need,” Seidler said. “I love what I do, and I am wholeheartedly committed to serving the wonderful people of our city. We have made incredible strides, and it is imperative that we keep the positive momentum moving forward. I’m so proud of our progress and remain highly optimistic about our future. I would be honored to continue representing you for another term. I promise to continue fighting hard for our community.”

Dittmar, 70, is a resident of Fulton and is the mother of two girls, one son and one grandson.

“I have lived in Wheeling my entire life, in my grandparents’ and parents’ 100-year-old home, where all my family members have grown up,” Dittmar said. “I graduated from Triadelphia High School, started working for the Old Wheeling Hospital in the admission and business offices, and then worked at Ohio County Schools as secretary at the old Park View School.”

Thereafter, she worked at a contracting company for Tunnel Ridge, where she worked daily with the miners, found them homes, set up training meetings and took care of their personal files, training records and medical files.

“I retired when my grandson was born to help out because my daughter was in training for nursing,” she said. “I was the chair of the Ohio County GOP until I decided to step down to run for city council.”

Dittmar said she was motivated to enter public service after she saw businesses leaving Wheeling, a trend that started years ago.

“Now, several years before the next election, our entire city is in a state of disaster,” Dittmar said. “You don’t tear out every room in your house at once when remodeling. People in Wheeling – longtime residents – have given up, thrown up their hands. It makes your head spin trying to find a detour out, if you’re brave enough to ride into downtown. You go to functions, cross a street and there’s no sidewalk – just huge ditches.”

Dittmar said a big problem facing Wheeling stems from efforts to change the look, culture and character of the city.

“No one cares what people do in their personal lives, but flaunting men dressed as women, women as men, half dressed on our Heritage Port in front of very young children …” she said, referring to a Pride event in 2022 which subsequently generated some concerns and allegations about crude behavior. “It was so bad I couldn’t show the pictures or allow the sound to play in a room of adults at city council.”

These kinds of displays are becoming more prevalent in the community, according to Dittmar, who said it is not “inclusion” but rather a “disgrace and embarrassment” to city residents and visitors to Wheeling.

“No one has to be forced into believing other people’s fantasy world,” she said. “Do what you want, call yourself what you want, but we are still a free nation and have no responsibility to accept what you want for yourself. And you have no entitlements to do this in public or in our schools.”

In terms of Ward 2 issues, Dittmar indicated that large trucks are permitted to drive through residential neighborhoods, destroying sidewalks and causing problems. She also took issue with current council members’ boasting of city playground updates when she has been urging improvements to the Fulton Playground for years.

“It hasn’t been touched since the 1970s – 50 years!” she said. “We still pay the same taxes, but Fulton is continuing to be ignored.”

Dittmar said her top priorities are to get businesses up and running in the downtown and to eliminate the “forced woke agendas” from the schools and the city.

“If I’m called a hater for protecting our young, then so be it,” Dittmar said. “Society has changed to the point where people don’t even know what all of these abbreviations mean – CRT, SEL, DEI … none of which should have been Mayor Glenn Elliott’s top priority while making our city look like a war zone.”

Beyond Ward 2, Dittmar said the city has problems with vacant houses that become drug havens and attract homeless individuals. Neglected infrastructure also needs to be addressed, she said.

“I’ll work with every neighborhood,” Dittmar said, noting that residential growth goes hand-in-hand with businesses that support the basic needs of residents. “You can’t have condos in a city where families have no grocery supplies, pharmacies … or small items like a tube of toothpaste.”

Dittmar said the city needs to work to bring businesses to town, particularly after the mess of all the recent demolition gets cleaned up.

“The city put the cart before the horse, chasing everyone out instead of working around them,” she said. “I have many ideas, and I can be easily contacted. Please call with your concerns.

“Win or lose, I’m continuing my fight. It’s just much easier to get the job done when we’re sitting in their seats. I lived here all my life, I know what we used to be, and I see total destruction and wasted tax dollars on pet projects. Elect me, and we will get down to saving Wheeling businesses. I look forward to talking to anyone and everyone.”