Kanwaha County Commissioner Dave Hardy on Tuesday touted the county's successes over the last 15 years, but challenger Lance Wheeler thinks it's time for a change.
Hardy, a Democrat who has served on the commission since 2001, is running for re-election against Wheeler, the vice chairman of the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee.
Hardy said that in preparation for a possible economic downturn, he and other commissioners created a rainy day fund for the county. When the June floods hit, the county was able to pay for flood relief immediately instead of waiting for federal help, he said.
"With $8 million in the rainy day fund, we were able to spend $2.9 million upfront quickly to haul 38 million pounds of debris in Elk Valley in 60 days," Hardy said. "We didn't wait for FEMA to do that."
In a questionnaire he answered to the forum, Wheeler alleged Hardy has not taken his job seriously as a county commissioner. He proposed electing someone who would take the position as a full-time job.
Wheeler, who works as a sales representative for Durable Medical Equipment, said Tuesday he would not leave his full-time position at the company if elected, but would answer phone calls and emails throughout the day.
"I work very hard at this job," Hardy responded. "I never quit moving around."
If anything, Hardy believes he works more now than he did in the early 2000s thanks to the advances in technology.
"This iPhone never stops," Hardy said.
The two candidates took opposite sides when it came to the issue of the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority, to which the commission appoints two board members.
Wheeler took a hard stand against using taxpayer dollars to bail out the organization.
"If demand is there to recycle, then an organization will come in," he said.
The county has allocated emergency funds to keep the solid waste authority stable and at least allow it to function with the hopes of rising back up. The authority is operating at bare minimum, with only two full-time employees and with director James Young off the payroll.
Hardy proposed working with the city of Charleston and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to figure out a solution or obtain a grant.
He noted the county didn't raise taxes to help the solid waste authority, and the county's levy rate has remained the same since 2012.
"Progressive communities have viable recycling programs," Hardy said.
When asked about whether the county should consolidate functions with other counties or municipalities within Kanawha County, Hardy gave the example of Metro 911 successfully providing emergency services to the entire county.
But Wheeler said, "Metro 911 has been a disaster for a lot of people in Kanawha County." He said ambulances cannot find homes in crises, and some residents have as many as three legal addresses for the same house.
For more than a decade, some addresses throughout West Virginia have been changed as part of a project to help emergency responders find homes.
With 66,000 residences in the county, there will be mistakes, Hardy said, but most of the mistakes were resolved three years ago when the project began.
Wheeler also questioned the county's use of the coal severance fund.
"Was it used effectively, was it used efficiently? I think voters would disagree," Wheeler said.
Hardy said 90 percent of the coal severance fund has been spent in the upper Kanawha Valley - only 75 percent is required to be spent there by state law.
Hardy also said the coal severance fund was used appropriately by placing four dedicated sheriff's deputies in an office out of Quincy, in the eastern part of Kanawha County.
This ensures that section of the county has 24/7 supplemental coverage, since the community doesn't have a large enough tax base to support a police department, Hardy said.
However, Wheeler said there is not enough transparency to where the money is going. "Some of these entities have been padding their pockets with that money," he said.
"If you have any evidence of any sort of fraud, please step forward with it," Hardy responded. "I'll see it's effectively dealt with."
Reach Laura Haight at laura.haight@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @laurahaight_ on Twitter.