MORGANTOWN — Monongalia County Commission President Sean Sikora said he detests running for office — but he loves being a commissioner.
So, with a little over a year before the end of his initial six-year term, he and his family had a decision to make.
He announced earlier this week that he plans to seek a second term next November.
“I’m really happy with where we’ve gone in the last five years. I’ve got 13 months or so to finish out my term and I’m going to work like hell to focus on getting things done,” he said. “The people can make their decisions based off results. If they want to go a different route, that’s fine too. I have a very full life without my commission responsibilities and I honestly can say that this position doesn’t define me. But I’ll also say it’s been probably one of my biggest accomplishments, to be chosen by the citizens to work on their behalf.”
Sikora, a Republican, is a federal contractor who’s spent the last 26 years at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
He said keeping his family a priority while balancing his professional and elected responsibilities takes constant vigilance.
“You have to be an individual who can really compartmentalize the different aspects of your life. I have my family, my job and the commission. And that could overwhelm me if I let it,” he said. “I always have to take that into consideration.”
Projects like the implementation of county-wide broadband, the ongoing work at the Morgantown Municipal Airport and the creation of a new Harmony Grove interchange are just a few of the projects Sikora would like to see through.
“There’s just so many things that I’d like to continue working on and so many areas where I’d like to be able to apply the particular skill set that I bring to the county,” he said.
While Sikora said he does intend to get out and make his case for another term, he doesn’t intend to accept campaign donations, explaining he will self-fund his reelection efforts. He said he doesn’t want to feel beholden to anyone when he’s making decisions for the county.
“I’m just not going to do that at all,” he said.
Sikora defeated Democrat Eldon Callen for the Central District seat by 381 votes in 2016. He currently serves with Democrats Tom Bloom and Jeff Arnett.
“I’m being completely honest when I say politics just don’t really seem to have a part in it. There are little things that come up from time to time, but for the most part, what we do in commission chambers isn’t in service to one party or another or national politics,” Sikora said, explaining he didn’t want to be the body’s president during his reelection year, as is the standard practice.
“I think we’ve done a good job keeping it about the people of Monongalia County,” he said. “I want to keep it that way.”
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