MORGANTOWN — Seventh Ward write-in candidate Todd Stainbrook said he had every intention of having his name on the city council ballot, until he learned that there was already a candidate planning to challenge incumbent Barry Wendell.
Stainbrook ultimately stepped aside and Aaron Metz filed as a candidate. Metz would subsequently withdraw after admitting he’d filed forged signatures on his candidate petition.
Now Stainbrook is hopeful city voters will write his name in when they head to the polls.
Stainbrook has worked his entire life in automotive sales, currently as co-owner of a dealership. He also purchases vehicles for a dealer in Indiana.
He said that experience has sharpened his skills as a negotiator.
“First, somebody has to be looking out for our ward. Number two, we have to do a better job for the city in negotiating for our citizens,” Stainbrook said. “The deal with Republic is a big one for me. How they can negotiate a contract where the only leverage we have is $5,000 in an account — which we haven’t touched — is beyond me. I don’t understand it.”
He feels that a large part of the city’s problems come down to basic communication.
“Look at our partners in the county. There’s no reason why everything should be a fight between the city council and county commission. It honestly seems like anything they can bicker over, they bicker over,” Stainbrook said. “It makes no sense. We’re all one. We all drive through every part of town. We have to work together, and it’s not being done. It’s not misinterpretation. There’s a lack of communication. That goes for the state as well.”
As for internal communication between city administration and city council, he said it’s council’s responsibility to ensure it’s getting what it needs to do its job.
“So if the city manager is not handing them what they need, who holds his feet to the fire if council doesn’t?” Stainbrook asked. “If you’re asked to make decisions and you’re not getting everything you need, then you need to get that resolved.”
He said there are questions he would like answered — for example, why was Mylan Pharmaceuticals carved out of the city — before he would be in favor of expansion through annexation, though he’s generally in favor of having an annexation plan.
As for council’s plan to take up implementation of a 1 percent sale tax, Stainbrook said, “That’s a horrible idea,” explaining he believes the mandated reduction in business and occupation taxes would potentially offset the sales tax revenue, as would the impact the tax would have on the city’s ability to attract new businesses and consumers.
“The city needs to do what it needs to do to get business coming in, but that doesn’t seem to be how this council looks at things. If it’s not green space, which is great, but if it’s not green space or someone’s personal agenda, then it doesn’t seem to be very important,” he said.
Stainbrook said the perception among city residents is that the city’s leaders won’t stand up to WVU.
He also said he’s concerned about office space sitting empty at the airport and the lack of any real progress on critical development projects at the airport.
“If I’m elected, I plan to let people know what’s going on, because they deserve to know,” he said. “I think there are a lot of people who are looking for another option. Through this process, I’ve learned a lot about my neighbors and I’ve met a lot, a lot, of nice people. I usually don’t have to say a whole lot about voting for me or not — people either like [Wendell] or they don’t.”
Stainbrook’s only previous political experience is an unsuccessful run for West Virginia House of Delegates, in 2014.
