Kingwood Council chooses Councilwoman Michelle Whetsell as new city clerk

KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council selected one of its own as the new city clerk Friday.

Councilwoman Michelle Whetsell was selected unanimously for the post, pending her resignation from council. She will be paid $43,000 a year and start June 1.

Council met in closed session for nearly an hour Friday before making a decision. Earlier in the week, it interviewed applicants. Four people applied.

Whetsell, who was not at the meeting, was first elected to council in 2017. Among the initiatives she has spearheaded are the 1% municipal tax and Kingwood’s participation in the Blueprint Communities program. She is also council’s representative to Main Street Kingwood.

“I love a challenge,” Whetsell said.

She currently supervises field deputies for the Monongalia County Assessor’s Office. “I’ve got almost 13 years in county government, so I understand a lot of it, and I’ve been in management for eons, and I was a business owner, so I understand,” she said.

Whetsell said she would probably hand in her resignation from council on Monday. “I’ll hate giving up that position, but I still could be a big part of the city as clerk.”

“I’m excited,” to bring some fresh ideas and make a smooth transition, she said.

Mayor Jean Guillot said any city resident interested in taking Whetsell’s spot on council should call city hall at 304-329-1225.

Former Clerk Kayla Huggins resigned April 21. She took the job in March 2019. The reasons for her resignation have not been made public, and the city attorney refused to provide The Dominion Post with a copy of her resignation.

Huggins got the clerk’s job after former Clerk Mary Howell resigned. Howell worked two years for Kingwood Parks and Recreation before taking the clerk’s job.

Howell was clerk for three years following the retirement of Clerk Martha Moore in March 2016. Moore was a 32-year city employee, the last 11 as clerk.

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