BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Beckley City Council members Sherrie Hunter and Cody Reedy made their way to Beckley City Hall on Monday to officially file for reelection to council.
Reedy and Hunter, both at-large representatives, have been actively involved in the decision-making regarding an array of issues faced by city residents, with some particularly divisive issues being brought to the forefront for discussion in recent months.
Councilwoman Hunter is nearing the conclusion of her second four-year term as a member of council and says that the decision to seek reelection was not a difficult one.
“I feel like I still have the fire in my belly. I want to be relevant for my citizens, I want to be relevant for the city, and I still want to be that public servant,” the councilwoman at-large tells LOOTPRESS. “That was an easy decision for me to make to go on and serve again, if the citizens want me to be there.”
The notion of continuity in the City Council is of particular significance to Hunter, along with a collaborative and respectful dialogue between all parties involved in the goings-on of city business.
“I believe that continuity is very important. I’m very grateful for the collaboration that each one of us on council has had with one another, and while we may not always agree with one another, we respect that we’re all in the arena to do what is best for the citizens of Beckley and for our constituents,” she explains. “Collaboration is the key, [as well as] respect and listening to what our constituents want.”
Councilman Reedy, who will be seeking reelection for a second term, likewise expressed enthusiasm at the chance to continue to serve the citizens of Beckley, stating that his approach for a new term would entail the continuation of the work and approach implemented during his first term.
“After my first term, I think the biggest thing was that I feel like I stayed constant in being the vote for the citizens of Beckley and doing what was best for them. Trying to keep that going in this next term is my biggest plan,” he tells LOOTPRESS, placing an emphasis on consistency and integrity. “I just want to always be the constant voice, no matter how we may agree or disagree on different things, I’m always going to vote for what’s best for the City of Beckley.”
Regarding the highly divisive issue of a City Manager form of government as opposed to a strong Mayor form of government, Reedy declares that his approach to business would essentially remain unchanged under either circumstance.
“I think it’s going to be pretty similar. I plan on not changing after the last four years. The role might be a little bit bigger now we’re going into the City Manager form of government and the City Council has more of a say in that area, but I think not much is going to change with my voting,” he says, noting that a collaborative approach between members of council is likely to yield the most impactful results for city constituents. “It’s going to be more important to have like-minded people and work with all six other council members to do what’s best for the City of Beckley.”
Additional LOOTPRESS coverage for the Raleigh County area can be found here, while additional LOOTPRESS coverage of Beckley City Council can be found here.
