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photo by: Emma Delk

The Strand Theatre will host the 2024 Moundsville City Council Candidate Forum tonight at 6 p.m.

Twelve candidates vying for four Moundsville City Council seats will take the stage at the Strand Theatre this evening to inform constituents of their vision for the city and how they plan to accomplish it in office.

The 2024 City Council Candidate Forum will be held at 6 p.m. at the Strand Theatre on Fifth Street. Twelve of the 13 candidates running for 1st Ward, 3rd Ward and at-large council seats will take the stage one at a time to answer three questions regarding their candidacy.

The 1st Ward candidates are incumbent Judy Hunt, Dennis Hall and Larry Vucelick, who will not be participating in the forum. The 3rd Ward candidates are incumbent Eugene Saunders, Coty Rogerson and Mandy Weese. At-large candidates are incumbent Randy Chamberlain, David Burkle, Don DeWitt, Jennifer Hess Norris, Brittany Reilly, Eli D. Rogerson and Carole Blake Wood.

The order in which candidates speak will be decided randomly. Candidates will not be allowed to hear other candidates’ answers to questions until after participating in the forum.

The forum will be moderated by Nick Healy, who will begin each candidate’s turn by reading a biography prepared by the candidate. Each participant will then have three minutes to answer each of the three questions prepared by Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw, City Manager Rick Healy and Vice Mayor David Wood.

“We are the only individuals that are not up for reelection, so we were able to come up with the questions together,” Wood-Shaw said. “Council member Ginger DeWitt’s husband (Don DeWitt) is running, so we didn’t include her in the question process even though her seat is not up for election. Anyone answering the questions, or had family members answering the questions, was left out of the process to come up with the questions.”

The first question covers why the candidate decided to participate in the municipal election and why the candidate feels their constituents should elect them to represent their ward and/or the city.

The second question asks the candidate what they hope to accomplish in office and the “number one issue” they want to address during their term.

The third question has the candidate describe what they believe is the “description/purpose” of a council member and how this “fits in” with the candidate’s other commitments, as city council “requires a significant time commitment much more than just meetings.”

Wood-Shaw said she hopes the Strand Theatre is “packed” for the forum, noting there are “not a lot of opportunities” for city council candidates to discuss their platforms and why they want to run for council in front of an audience.

Wood-Shaw added she was glad to have 12 out of 13 candidates participating so audience members could see the majority of the candidates answer the same questions. On whether the format of a candidate event may change to a debate for future elections, Wood-Shaw said that was “something to consider in the future.”

“We just want the community to be able to hear directly from all the candidates about why they wanted to run for council and their platform,” Wood-Shaw said. “It’s important for everyone to be informed, no matter what level they’re voting on for the election. I think you see a lot about national candidates and state-level candidates, but there are not many opportunities for city council candidates to get in front of many people and discuss why they’re running.”

Wood-Shaw noted she and council members want the public to know “who they’re voting for, what their background is and what their ideas are.” She added she was also excited to see such a large number of candidates representing a vast age range among those running for council, from young residents to seniors in the city.

“We feel like it’s our responsibility as a city to provide that opportunity for these candidates to be able to come into the spotlight and speak directly to the citizens,” Wood-Shaw said. “We want many people to come to know who they’re voting for and what these individuals bring to council.”

The event will be livestreamed on the city of Moundsville’s Facebook page.