As Mayor Glenn Elliott concluded his seventh and final State of the City address on July 25th, I couldn’t help but be grateful and thankful for the community we live in.

Over the last seven years we have seen significant progress take place all over the city of Wheeling.

Around 450 streets and alleys have been paved, almost 30 parks and playgrounds have seen investment and there are currently around 30 projects taking place in or around downtown, representing more than $200 million of investment.

We have new housing options planned for downtown to meet the demand developers are seeing, which should attract new neighbors to our city and provide more housing options to our current residents.

We have a new police headquarters for the first time since the 1950s and will soon have a new fire headquarters.

These resources will help recruit, retain, and train our first responders, paving the way for Wheeling to remain a safe, livable city for years to come.

The city’s rainy-day fund has been nearly tripled, providing future city councils a financial cushion to responsibly address unexpected expenses.

For the first time in my life, I now hear more people talking about what is going on in Wheeling now, and what is possible for the future as opposed to only talking about Wheeling in the past tense and focusing on how things used to be.

This sense of optimism and excitement about the future is infectious, and I have witnessed it spread throughout the community and encourage people to invest in property, buy buildings and start many new businesses.

This increase in commerce has resulted in increased tax revenue that can be reinvested back into the community.

Success breeds success and the cycle continues.

Just this weekend, those looking for things to do have the Grecian Fest, the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival and The Basketnall Tournament — all taking place within easy walking distance of each other.

Countless individuals are working every day, in their own way and in their own, field to improve our community, help our residents and make Wheeling a better city.

They’re your friends and neighbors, working to make Wheeling is better today while striving to ensure its tomorrow is even brighter.

I want to thank all of you for your efforts and for giving me the opportunity to serve as your vice mayor for the past seven years.

Wheeling is making a comeback and it’s been an honor to have had the privilege to play a small role in that.

First Ward Councilman Chad Thalman serves as vice mayor of the city of Wheeling. He has served on council from 2016 until the present.