10/22/2026
I have given this a day now I’m going to write my rebuttal. This is very information heavy and I thought I could write my response in a different color but what I’ll do is write my response in brackets. I’m sorry this is a long one but I believe this should be a discussed.
I normally don't engage with negative and misleading tactics, but I refuse to allow misleading information to be spread about our community.
{ This is the most telling of opening statements. This city operates in hush tones or flat out censors negative posts. As city hall meeting on Monday shown when anyone tries to communicate a problem to this city it gets ignored. Call councilman you get no call back, talk to the mayor he says do it yourself. When our fire Chief gets ignored he feels like the rest of us. He should be able to appeal to the public on social media, if it makes you look bad or not. Your entire city government’s policy is to not engage with negative information. Everything looks good if we ignore it, right?}
1. Stood up to West Virginia American Water. I personally made the motion opposing West Virginia American Water's proposed purchase of our city's Municipal Utility Commission (MUC). I believe our water system should remain locally controlled and accountable to the people of Saint Albans. Saving people from a dramatic rate increase.
{ I’m going to lump these 3 together, read below}
2. Invested in our water infrastructure. As a member of the MUC Board, I voted to begin work on a multimillion-dollar capital improvement plan to strengthen our water infrastructure and ensure reliable service for our residents.
{ I’m going to lump these 3 together, read below}
3. Opposed higher utility rates. I voted AGAINST raising water and sewer rates because I understand the financial pressures facing working families and seniors on fixed incomes.
{1,2,3 All three of these revolve around the water company. Although it is admirable to argue the case that you are fighting against utility rate increases. Talk to anyone in town they would say their bill says otherwise. Secondly once again it is admirable that you voted to spend millions on water infrastructure, where does that money come from? How do you argue you’re against a rate hike and then spend millions of dollars? Someone has to pay the bill. If not that has to be the most fiscally irresponsible thing I’ve ever heard. On this topic I remember growing up and the city bragged it was the best quality water in the valley. Now it smells like a swimming pool, water lines are bursting left and right, and the worst part is as we have our drinking water mixing with sludge on the roads and ground no one ever gets a water boil advisory. So that’s either a lack of care or we have the cleanest dirt on earth}
4. Supported our local businesses. I sponsored an ordinance that passed City Council to help businesses grow by expanding sales opportunities along Main Street. A thriving downtown is essential to a thriving Saint Albans.
{I wholeheartedly agree a thriving downtown is essential to a thriving Saint Albans. What was that ordinance? Was it the one expanding PODA? I’m sure that made the other half of the business on Main Street thrive. Was it anything to attract or retain new business? Tax credits or breaks? Historic preservation, or partnerships? Have we worked with any business to make it easier to open or operate? Or was it to help a handful of businesses that are in your pocket and give the city a quick increase of money by selling PODA cups?}
5. Helped bring a community center to Saint Albans. Working as a team, we successfully negotiated a partnership with Kanawha County Schools to take over a portion of the former McKinley Middle School. Today, that facility serves as a community center, bringing individuals and families from across the valley into Saint Albans.
{This one personally irritates me. That school closed down because of dwindling students, and righting of budgets. How do the finances work on this? Does the city that is broke pay the bills? Or does the county taxpayers that don’t have enough money for education foot this bill? It has got to be the most fiscally irresponsible thing I have ever seen. We have a community center. It’s the Hansford center. The building that needs a large influx of cash because nobody wants to spend the money on it. So we take on the nice new shiny building that we can’t afford, and hope the rest of the county will pay for it.}
6. Expanded recreational opportunities. I worked with former State Senator Eric Nelson to secure grant funding that helped construct two new pickleball courts. These investments improve quality of life and bring more people into our community.
{Once again the concept is admirable, but as a business owner I have some serious questions. Why did we need grant funding for a court? And who’s going to maintain it? This city has no money to maintain public facilities. So now we spent county, state tax revenue to build courts this city can’t afford to maintain. Once again fiscally irresponsible.}
7. Supported our first responders. City Council approved TWO separate 8% pay raises for our police department. However, Chiefs Gilbert and Bass deserve tremendous credit for their leadership and for bringing these recommendations before Council. Our officers deserve competitive compensation for the work they do every day. We have been actively meeting with the Fire Department to find compensation advancements.
{This one, after the common thread going through the rest of these makes sense. The city is fiscally irresponsible}
8. Invested in public safety and accountability. I joined my fellow council members in voting to purchase body cameras for our police officers. These cameras help protect both our officers and the citizens they serve.
{This is admirable I have the question, was it purchased? Or was it more grant money?}
9. Stood up for individual privacy. I sponsored a resolution addressing Flock cameras in Saint Albans and encouraging the West Virginia Legislature to establish appropriate safeguards and guardrails to protect citizens' privacy and constitutional rights.
{This one is a joke,right? You respect people’s privacy from being surveilled, as long as there are rules? You have the authority to ban them from your city. That would be respecting privacy.}
10. Worked toward economic development. I am actively working on opportunities to develop and revitalize the eastern side of Saint Albans. There is tremendous potential in that part of our community, and I want to see it succeed.
{ I grew up on the 2700 block of Kanawha Terrace this one I’m interested in. What’s this plan?is it to use all the commercial properties you seized to demo buildings? To exclude private businesses from starting and build on that part? Because your government has done a really good job at that. I have lived in that part since I was 6 if the city has interest in developing that part of town it’s not because they miraculously care about us. You just figured out a way you can make money.}
11. Defended private property rights. I voted to protect the rights of families to have trampolines and other recreational equipment for their children in their own yards. I believe government should respect private property rights and stay out of people's lives whenever possible.
{This one’s my favorite. You defended private property rights? You know I am currently denied access to my property because of your government right? You were in 2 of those meetings. If you paid any attention. Oh and you let people have playground equipment in their yard. You know they buy that because the playgrounds in Saint Albans are unsafe, right? Or the fact you also were one of the ones who spent countless time to prohibit recreational vehicles on people’s private property. You respect people’s private property when it’s convenient for you. Any other time you feel you should have complete control.}
{ I’m going to wrap this up with a simple complaint. I am so tired and the residents are tired of the lack of accountability. You sit on that council and run for county commission, and argue you have experience. The moment someone calls any of the council out they argue we don’t have any control talk to the mayor. We talk to the mayor he says talk to council, or my favorites are do it yourself. Who, I ask who sir, is taking accountability?
You ask us as the voters who live in a city under your control that is falling apart, your asking us to give you more power through the county commission. And yet the argument from every single elected official of this town is it’s someone else’s fault.
Who’s? If not you, who?}
{I’d like to add, everyone is asking about this $180,000 pac money’s from out of state. Even if you didn’t accept it personally why did someone think you were worth buying? Tell us what you are willing to do to have that money thrown at you}
