Some GWSEA Board Members Expected To Be Reappointed
Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING -- Following a failed motion Tuesday night to reappoint four members to the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority Board, Mayor Glenn Elliott reached out to some of those members via text message -- though not all of them -- to assure them that their reappointments would be considered at a future meeting.
Meanwhile, one councilman who voted against the reappointments had earlier applied for the board's executive director job, though he said he inquired whether that would be a conflict of interest and was reassured he could vote.
A resolution to reappoint GWSEA board members Rich Lucas, John Culler, Robert "Rocky" Fitzsimmons and Karen Shuler Stakem failed by a vote of 4-3 during Tuesday night's Wheeling City Council meeting. Opponents of the resolution to reappoint the board members included the mayor, who is chairman of the GWSEA board. Dissenting voters cited everything from procedural issues to a lack of "diversity" on the current board since it is all "white" and mostly men over 50 - as reasons for voting against the resolution.
The action was seen by some as a bad look for the city and one that cast a negative light on the board members in question - a group of professionals who are considered community leaders serving in a voluntary position to help better the community.
"I didn't realize reappointments would create such a stir," said Councilman Dave Palmer, who presented the resolution to council and is a member of the GWSEA board. "Unless of course there's something going on behind the scenes to remove a current board member."
Elliott was asked after the meeting if the action Tuesday night was motivated by an effort to get members off of the board.
"No," he responded. "Absolutely not. I would definitely not assume that. There's an effort to look at each new appointment individually. And I would expect to see a lot of them back on the board."
Lucas confirmed that Elliott reached out to him after Tuesday's meeting to dispel the drama after the split vote and to reassure him that his reappointment to the board would be considered at the next council meeting.
"The mayor sent me a text message after the meeting," Lucas said on Wednesday, noting that he was informed that procedural issues were being ironed out and consideration of his reappointment would be forthcoming. "We want the best for the community. I believe the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority Board works very well together. Everyone works for the good of the community."
Fitzsimmons declined comment when asked Wednesday if he had received a text from Elliott. Stakem could not be reached for comment as of Wednesday evening.
Lucas said board members were not aware that their terms had expired and needed to be renewed. Council members indicated that some of the terms expired in 2018 and in 2020, and one this summer.
Some officials have questioned why these reappointments never came to light, basically making the terms of the current members ongoing without an opportunity to replace members when their terms expired.
Palmer had noted that his intention was to get the members reappointed as quickly as possible, although the city solicitor had reassured them that their service and their actions as board members remained valid even after their stated terms had expired.
In the meantime, board members have been working to revitalize the Capitol Theatre and WesBanco Arena - the city's two major entertainment destination venues, hiring a new executive director, Kelly Tucker, and investing significant sums of money into both facilities for major improvements.
"I've had the privilege to serve on several boards, and this board operates very well - very professionally - and does many good things," Culler said Wednesday. "The arena has turned into a new focus of the downtown - as has the Capitol Theatre. This board has operated very well."
Culler noted that he did not receive a text message from the mayor following Tuesday night's meeting.
"I reached out to those members who I felt were worthy of reappointments," Elliott said Wednesday, noting that he was keeping an open mind to individual nominations that come before council in the near future. "No one should assume that their reappointment to any board should be automatic.
"I simply believe that these appointments should be considered separately and independently. At the same time I also believe that city council has a solemn duty in filling our municipal boards and commissions to ensure that they reflect the diversity of our community. If that means resisting the ease of automatically reappointing someone to a board lacking such diversity, then so be it."
On Tuesday, City Councilman Ty Thorngate said that he consulted with the West Virginia Ethics Commission to be reassured that there would be no conflict of interest with his involvement with city council in dealing with GWSEA matters. Thorngate had applied for the executive director's position at the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority but was not selected for the job by the board.
During Tuesday night's meeting of Wheeling City Council, it was Thorngate who initially raised concerns about proposed reappointment of four sitting members of the GWSEA board, which led to a debate and ultimately a 4-3 vote against the reappointments.
Thorngate on Tuesday said he believed the GWSEA board made the right decision in their selection of a new executive director.
"Ultimately, the GWSEA selected the best candidate, Mrs. Kelly Tucker-Jones," Thorngate said. "She possessed superior qualifications and had all the attributes you would look for in a leadership position. Over the last year, Kelly has proven my intuition correct and breathed new life into Wesbanco Arena and the Capitol Theater. In my view, her position holds immense significance within the Ohio Valley, which is why it's so important to adhere to governmental protocols when appointing members to the board overseeing her."