⁃ Tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience/accomplishments:
I grew up in Beckley until I was 10 years old. My parents separated and I moved to Wyoming County. My mother was in poor health, and we didn’t have much, but I learned to be thankful for what we did have. As a teenager, I learned the value of the old saying “ An honest days work, is an honest days pay”. As I worked in a local grocery store in Pineville WV while attending High School and college. I moved back to Beckley in the 90’s, as I had always loved this city.
I worked in Retail management for Lowe’s, Sears, and Big Lot’s. In 2003 I was hired by the United States Postal Service and carried mail throughout Beckley until 2014 when my health caused me to take a disability retirement.
⁃ What motivated you to run for city council, or if you are an incumbent, what motivated you to seek reelection?
I first got into politics in 2020. I was unknown to most of Beckley except as their mail carrier. I didn’t know much about local politics at that time, and finished 3rd in a race for this same City council seat. I learned a lot that election. Once I learned how city council works, and I started seeing where my tax dollars were actually going, I decided to become more involved.
The more I learned, the more disappointed I became. I started going to meetings and finding out more and more about government at both the local level and at the state level. Next I ran for House of Delegates on a conservative ticket in 2022. In a tight 3 person race, pulling from all of Beckley, I lost by around 200 votes.
I decided this election, with the knowledge that I have gained over the last 4 years and my dedication to transparency and communication, I could be best serve the public by running for this city council seat again. I believe I can really help both Ward 3 and all of Beckley move into the future.
⁃ What are some issues facing Beckley currently that you would like to see addressed and fixed? How would you fix those issues?
The main issue I see with Beckley is that we waste money on real estate, statues, and other projects that don’t serve the best interests of the citizens of Beckley, while our basic needs are neglected. Unless we are given grants, Most of our city infrastructure, city equipment,, and improvements to our streets or even public attractions such as our parks or public pools go without basic repairs or upgrades.
Our city leaders make those decisions along with other changes in government without listening to the people that pay their salaries with their tax dollars. There are 17000 residents of Beckley who need a city government that not only listens, but practices community involvement and transparency. We must work together to fix or replace street, speed limit, and safety signs as well as repair cracked sidewalks and city streets throughout Beckley.
We must fix our parks and our public pools so our children have a safe place to play in the Summer. We must work effortlessly to address the homeless situation, and stop squatters, and aggressive panhandlers that wonder our streets. We must use our funds to not only help these people back into standing on their feet, but we must bring more family oriented projects to our city. We must Improve the ambiance of our once beautiful city, and make Beckley a place where families feel safe and want to raise their children.
We must also work to attract small business back into our city. I will fix these issues by working together with other members of council and the citizens of Beckley to find solutions that serve both Beckley, and our Citizens best interests.
⁃ What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates, what do you bring to the table that they don’t?
I can not speak for the qualifications or mindset of any other candidate. As for myself, I will bring transparency, honesty and integrity to this council seat. My campaign slogan is that I will be “ Your voice in council chambers” those are not just words. I believe we must have an open line of communication and transparency with our citizens. Together we can make Beckley the shining star of West Virginia. We have a lot of good people running for several offices within the city, but I promise you that no one will work harder or care about our city more than I will.
⁃ Is there anything else voters should know about you and your campaign?
I believe as both a candidate and a tax payer that we can not withstand 4 more years of the situations we are currently dealing with, or the manner in which they are being handled. We must move forward into the future with open minds and a commitment to listen to every citizen of this city.
We must put the needs of the people above self serving interests. I will bring your thoughts, complaints, ideas, and needs before the other members of council, and truly be YOUR voice in council chambers.