BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Candidates gathered bright and early Thursday morning at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center, affording residents of Raleigh County the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the political field ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
The event, presented by the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce and aired on live radio, arranged candidates laterally before those in attendance, as well as a media panel from which questions were fielded.
Candidates who will stand in opposition to one another at the polls were each given the opportunity to issue responses to mirroring questions, allowing for effective analysis of comparisons and contrasts in candidate stances on various issues.
Raleigh County Administrator Jay Quesenberry acted as a master of ceremonies of sorts throughout the event, directing the transitions between candidates upon lapse of time or progression to a new phase of the proceedings.
County residents were joined by a host of local political names including Robert “Bob” McComas, R, and incumbent Paul H. Flanagan, D, who will be facing off next month in the election for Raleigh County Circuit Clerk.
Also present were State Senator incumbent for the 9th District, Rollan Roberts, R, and challenger Kari Woodson, L, participants in a race notable for its lack of a challenger from the Democratic party.
District 45 candidates Eric Brooks, R, and Christian Martine, D took on questions from the media panel, along with District 31 candidates Christopher Toney, R, and JoAnna Vance, D, and District 44 candidates Todd Kirby, R, and Tony O. Martin, D.
Both Raleigh County Commissioner Dave Tolliver, R, and Congresswoman Carol Miller, R, had seating areas prepared alongside fellow candidates, though neither were able to attend the event on this morning.
Amendment 2, an issue that has sparked much debate both locally and politically throughout the lead-up to November, likewise hung heavy in the air during Thursday’s event, with several media panel questions directed at candidates pertaining to the controversial piece of legislation.
“We are an outlier when it comes to Amendment 2,” said Roberts, fielding the first question of the day. “Because other legislatures across the country, they are allowed to be involved in dispersing of funds and dealing with taxes.”
The topic of discussion turned to businesses within the State of West Virginia, specifically, how more jobs can be brought in and how small businesses can be maintained within the current economic climate.
“It leaves too much to the legislature to change things up,” said Woodson. “That’s something that I don’t believe is a good idea because there are too many people within the legislature that have businesses that can alter things to make it to where it’s beneficial for them, not so much the small businesses.”
Republican candidate for District 44, Todd Kirby, was notably hesitant to declare an allegiance to either side of the fence as it were, asserting that he has yet to take a public stance on the hot-button issue.
“What I will say is there are a lot of benefits to Amendment 2 passing,” Kirby said. “I do think that taking the strain off of small business and families families by eliminating the personal property taxes and eliminating inventory tax would be a huge benefit to the State of West Virginia, and as it stands right now, we’re only one out of nine states who have that high a percentage of inventory taxes, which is a huge obstacle when you’re trying to get businesses to move into the area.”
Martin was more skeptical, positing, “They’re selling it to us as something it’s really not, Senator Rollan Roberts just said it. It only opens the door that we can eliminate this tax, so that makes me question: Why are we really doing this? We haven’t heard a plan on how we’re going to replace that revenue that goes into our counties.”
Delegate Brandon Steele, R, was present and took the podium briefly near the event’s end to touch on Amendment 2, despite being unopposed in his bid for election to House District 42.
Steele implored voters to consider the origins of the laws currently in place within the Constitution and for the State of West Virginia.
“In 1863, the folks that were setting up West Virginia had a lot of heartburn with Richmond because the plantation owners had a lot more power than the middle owners in the western part of the state, and they used that power to tax their property at a much lower rate than the middle property,” he explained.
“So our founders were dealing with a problem that was localized at that time, and they basically said ‘stop the legislature from being able to adjust this up or down… What we’re talking about here is deadhand control that was imposed upon us by a group of folks that were dealing with an agrarian society, that didn’t have cars, didn’t have trucks, didn’t have computers, didn’t have all the desks and other implements. They couldn’t fathom what that tax was applying to today because it didn’t exist.”
“So what we’re asking you right now is to take a step in the right direction, like 41 other states have done, and gotten rid of this tax, and implement something in its place. I could support a sales tax.”
Delegate Steele also connoted a duplicity in distrust of the state’s governing entities.
“Saying that you can’t trust the legislature right now is very disingenuous,” he declared. “We have passed county official pay raises at the county officials’ request, we have held PEIA premiums at bay four the entire four years I’ve been there to help county officials and to help counties make their budget. We have held the per diem rate on our regional jails to help our counties and help their budget. We have been a great partner to the counties, and to sit here and say that we are going to push fear that the world is going to fall apart so we have to pay this tax, that’s disingenuous. You’ve got to look at the good work we’ve done and the partners that we’ve been with the counties.”
In concluding his remarks, Delegate Steele spoke to the abundance of taxes being pushed on West Virginia residents.
“Look at ‘Hey, why am I paying a tax on my car when I’m paying income tax on the money I’m paying it with, I paid sales tax on the car, I shouldn’t have to pay the king for the right to drive my car every year,’ and that’s what we’re doing.”
District 31 candidates Toney and Vance offered thoughts on issues with the jail system as it stands currently with both candidates addressing widespread overpopulation in the state’s jails, an issue affecting most of the country at this time.
Toney proposed a look be taken at the state of government finances to determine how best to address issues within the jail system.
“I think we need to look at our overall taxation and see what the cities can afford, what the counties, and what the state can kick in to make sure we are doing what’s best for our jails,” he said.
Vance took the opportunity to acknowledge the conditions within the jails themselves, stating, “People that are incarcerated are going without food and water, our jails are under investigation by the Department of Justice already.” She went on to suggest a rehabilitative approach as a means of combating overpopulation.
The topic shifted away from the justice system as it pertains to those currently incarcerated, and to the trial by the time former police chief Robert “Bob” McComas and incumbent Paul H. Flanagan began to take questions.
“As your current Circuit Clerk, I have changed those processes,” said Flanagan regarding issues of trail delays. “I’ve worked with the judges to change the arraignment process so that it’s much easier and smoother, and not the cattle call that it once was. I’ve implemented electronic filing, which enables us and attorneys to file electronically and not by paper.”
McComas, conversely, took a more reluctant approach to the purported convenience of advanced technology. “What I would do is do a study on the problems that we have in the office. I would take a look at the computer system and see how we could improve upon that and see what’s slowing things down.”
Republican candidate for District 45, Eric Brooks, pointed to numerical figures in his assertion of the need for Republican leadership in the state.
“Republicans took over in 2015 they had a $750 million deficit facing our state,” Brooks said. “They turned that into a $1.3 billion surplus.”
Democratic candidate Christian Martine countered with the issue of residents leaving the state in search of greater opportunities.
“Despite everything we just heard, too many families are leaving, too many jobs are moving,” he said. “People are leaving because they’re looking for more pay, for better opportunities, for better school districts in other states.”
Polls will open on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Learn more on how to get registered to vote here.