On election day, voters in Kanawha County are deciding if the County Commission will keep a Democratic incumbent who has served for 15 years or go with a young Republican upstart.
County Commissioner Dave Hardy is running for re-election against Lance Wheeler, the vice chairman of the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee and a sales representative for Durable Medical Equipment.
While Hardy has touted the success of the county since he has been a commissioner, Wheeler said at a Gazette-Mail candidate meeting in September that it was time for a change.
Wheeler, a 2008 St. Albans High graduate and a University of Kentucky attendee, has taken a strong stance against the Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority, saying taxpayer dollars should not be used to keep the struggling organization afloat. It had a $16,193 net loss during the 2016 fiscal year and is under a quasi-takeover by the County Commission.
Hardy said at the meeting that the commission should work with the city of Charleston and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on possible solutions to keep it alive. The county has allocated emergency funds toward the organization.
Wheeler also questioned the effectiveness of Metro 911 and the county's use of the coal severance fund at the meeting. Hardy said Metro 911 has provided great service throughout the entire county and that the funds were used for four dedicated sheriff's deputies in eastern Kanawha County.
Kanawha County voters also will decide if Sunday hunting will be authorized on private land within the county. The measure requires a majority vote in order to be passed. Sunday hunting currently is legal in 22 of West Virginia's 55 counties. Proponents of the measure say it's a person's right to do what they want to on their own property. Opponents of the measure say it will cause unnecessary disturbance on a day often used for worship.
The other county races are uncontested. Sallie Robinson is the Democratic nominee for assessor, Michael Rutherford is the Democratic nominee for sheriff, Vera McCormick is the Republican nominee for county clerk, Cathy S. Gatson is the Democratic nominee for circuit clerk and Charles T. Miller is the Republican nominee for prosecuting attorney.
Reach Max Garland at max.garland@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886, or follow @maxgarlandtypes on Twitter.