2020 Council adjourns sine die; Elliott, Thalman, Ketchum bid farewell
Mayor Glenn Elliott, Vice Mayor Chad Thalman, and Councilor Rosemary Ketchum, bid farewell to city council as three newcomers gear up to take office on July 1.
WHEELING, W.Va. —An era ended as the 2020 city council adjourned sine die June 18. The group took their seats during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw massive public investment for infrastructure, and made national headlines when they banned “urban camping”.

The outgoing council saw tens of millions of dollars flood into city coffers via the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and state investment. Funds given to the city were used by the city to renovate every city playground, spurred new murals, and conduct hundreds of demolitions of “blighted” buildings. Meanwhile, state and federal dollars went to at least four bridge remodels, including the Suspension Bridge, and the downtown Streetscape project.
This council also imposed a ban on urban camping—one of its most controversial moves. The ban, which is nearly identical to a Parkersburg ban, suggests the imposition of fines for those camping, sleeping, eating, or storing items on public property. The ban was enforced by bulldozers and dump trucks that, during a winter weather statewide emergency, destroyed tents and displaced a dozen individuals. The city then set up an “exempted camp” plagued with safety concerns.
Mayor Glenn Elliott, Vice Mayor Chad Thalman, and Councilor Rosemary Ketchum will depart the council on June 30. Mayor-elect Denny Magruder, Tony Assaro, and Connie Cain will take their spots, respectively, starting July 1.

With Elliott, Thalman, and Ketchum’s departures, the average age of council increased from 45 to 54-years-old. Wheeling also lost its only openly-LGBTQ+ representative in Ketchum, who was West Virginia’s first openly transgender elected; however, the body did gain a representative-of-color, and retained a woman representative, with Cain’s election.
Elliott offered extensive farewell remarks that Wheeling Free Press covered in a separate piece.
Thalman kept his goodbye brief by thanking the voters of his ward for their support over the last eight years. “I’d like to thank the mayor and the last two city councils and city staff for all the progress that’s been made,” Thalman said.
Ketchum said serving her community was the honor of her life. “As I look back on these years, I am proud of so much that we’ve accomplished,” Ketchum said, citing neighborhood investments, economic development, social and cultural changes, and infrastructure upgrades.
“But the growth that we see is not an accident,” Ketchum said. “It is a result of an engaged community, good governance, a sound financial approach, pride in our neighborhoods, and a progressive vision for our city. It’s not an accident.
Ketchum said she was eager to see how Magruder and the new council will govern, adding that she hopes to continue her service on a city board or commission.
Councilors Ty Thorgnate, Jerry Sklavounakis, and Ben Seidler, who were each re-elected to their seats overwhelmingly in May, expressed their gratitude to their outgoing colleagues. Councilor Dave Palmer was absent from the meeting.
Despite emotions being high and nostalgia thick, the council still had official business to conduct before adjournment.
A significant amount of money was approved for repairs to the Water Pollution Control Division’s wastewater treatment facility, which, as you may recall, was damaged during the back-to-back flooding in April. During their June 4 meeting, council approved over $230,000 for WPCD. On June 18, a further $591,403.73 was approved in related recovery costs.
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, Wheeling Free Press was made aware of the extent of damages at the WPCD wastewater treatment facility. A consultant for the plant reported to the West Virginia Department of Environmental protection that over $2.6 million in damages occurred after the April floods. A story on this issue is upcoming.
$46,894 was allocated for repairs to a dock on the back channel of the Ohio River on Wheeling Island and a further $98,805 for slip repair on Washington Farms Rd—both ordinances related to flood damage. These costs, as well as the WPCD repairs, are expected to be reimbursed by the federal government following a FEMA disaster declaration.
Council also approved $75,000 in cybersecurity upgrades and $569,850 for the routine purchase of a slew of chemicals for the water treatment plant.
The next council will be sworn in July 1 and hold their first meeting on July 2. At that meeting, junior and senior councilors alike will consider another round of repairs for WPCD totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.