MORGANTOWN — Republican incumbent Sean Sikora says he’s more than delivered on every one of his stated objectives during his first term as a Monongalia County Commissioner.
Democrat Bob Beach says he’s ready to put 22 years of experience as a state legislator to work in the county courthouse.
Come November, the county’s voters will have the final say on who represents the central district on the Monongalia County Commission for the next six years.
Both men recently sat for a virtual meeting with The Dominion Post Editorial Board to discuss various issues and why each believes he’s the best fit for the job.
“When I ran in 2016, I told people I would deliver four things — fiscal solvency and accountability, transparency, civility and reason and a commissioner with a strong moral character,” Sikora said. “I’ve done that.”
Sikora, who’s spent the last 28 years working as a project/contract manager in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, says he spearheaded the change from baseline to line-item budgeting at the county level and notes the commission has reduced taxes five years running and now boasts the lowest base rate in West Virginia.
Sikora also touts the fact that Monongalia County became the first in the state to make all its financial data publicly available online through OpenGov during his initial term.
Beach, who previously spent nine years as a member of the Monongalia County Planning Commission and has served as board member for Senior Monongalians, believes transparency is an area where the commission can improve.
“The number one thing I hear out in the community right now is simply having an agenda posted well enough in advance that folks have an opportunity to plan their schedule accordingly so they can participate in a live meeting rather than watch it via the internet,” Beach said.
“On the western end of the county folks would like to participate more often but they believe that agenda getting posted a day or two before that meeting actually occurs is not giving them sufficient time.”
Beach went on to say that as a commissioner he would make himself available for monthly gatherings in the western end of the county.
Both candidates are opposed to Amendment 2, the Property Tax Modernization Amendment, explaining it’s short-sighted to trade the county’s fiscal future to Charleston for the elimination of car taxes.
Both are in favor of county subdivision regulations as a means of addressing the imbalance of development and infrastructure.
Asked what he’d like to accomplish if returned to the job, Sikora said he’s the commission’s lead on two major undertakings — one is the creation of a county human resources department and the other is the countywide broadband effort.
“We are leading the state in terms of our broadband planning. We’re the only county in the state that went out and created a comprehensive plan to cover all corners of the county,” Sikora said. “We’re currently in the engineering stage for our first ring, which, by the way, will be Ring 11 in the Blacksville area to connect the areas of the county that are least connected.”
Beach said he’d like to initiate an added focus on data collection in order to better understand and analyze funding requests from outside agencies and organizations.
He said he’d also like to turn the county’s books over on a regular basis.
“I would also like to see a forensic audit, not just a checkbook audit, but a forensic audit on the county commission moving forward. I think it would behoove all of us to understand what’s on the books, what’s been on the books for years,” Beach said.
“The people in the county are concerned that checks are just being written right and left, and while I don’t necessarily believe that’s the case, but I think if we could give them that transparency of understanding what’s going on with the county commission they would feel a lot better.”
In the end, Beach said he believes the commission’s door should always be open to every resident of Monongalia County and he believes he can make that happen, noting “I have a lot to bring to the table as far as my experience goes in Charleston.”
Sikora said he’s helped foster a better working relationship with the municipalities and the board of education. He said he’s self-funding his campaign and declined the pay raise approved for elected officials across the state.
“I say a lot that there’s a big difference between career politicians and public servants. I feel like I’m being a public servant. I’m taking my time, talent and treasure to serve this county and I’m doing that in every single way,” he said.
Early voting ahead of the Nov. 8 election begins Oct. 26.
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