Outgoing Mayor Glenn Elliott bids emotional farewell to Wheeling
Elliott touted historic preservation, civil rights, and recreation, as wins during his tenure, and said he wished his council had done more on the “homeless situation.”
WHEELING, W. Va. – Mayor Glenn Elliott, during his final mayor’s report, thanked his colleagues on council, city administration, and city staff for their collaboration during his eight years as mayor. “It’s been great to work with all of you,” Elliott said, holding back tears. “This has been the professional honor of my life.” He won’t be leaving the public’s eye, though, as he is the W. Va. Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
Elliott had a laundry list of accomplishments while also recognizing the shortcomings of his administration. He spoke of civil rights, recreation, historic preservation, and public safety as wins during his eight years, but said he wished he could have done more on homelessness and the Clay School.
First elected in 2016 with 53% of the vote, and narrowly re-elected in 2020 with 49%, Elliott has presided over 190 council meetings. During that time, Wheeling has experienced a period of investment and growth not seen in generations.
Citing one aspect of that growth, Elliott said the city’s “finances are solid.” According to the outgoing mayor, the city’s rainy day fund was $1.8 million in 2016. Today, it sits at $5 million. And that growth didn’t come at the expense of major investments, either.
“We made civil rights a priority of city council when I ran. I was the only [2016 mayoral] candidate who spoke in support of the LGBT [non-discrimination] ordinance,” Elliott said. “We passed that by a vote of seven to zero–probably the most proud I am of any vote we did.” He also noted the passage of the CROWN Act in 2023, which also passed unanimously.
Elliott spoke of making recreation a priority–something he said has “really served our city well”. Wheeling has seen several dog parks open, each of their over twenty playground remodeled, a downtown playground funded, and the ongoing creation of a splash pad at Heritage Port.
Downtown has seen massive improvements since Elliott took office.
The Streetscape project–a state and federally-funded project with tens of millions of dollars for renewal of downtown streets and sidewalks–has been one of the biggest projects of Elliott’s tenure, even seeing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg make a visit to the city.
“We have made historic preservation a priority,” Elliott said. “I think that will serve the city well going forward.”
Elliott spoke of a facade improvement program that has seen grants awarded to building-owners across the city to encourage revitalization–with three new requests approved that night. He also spoke of lobbying the state legislature to increase the historic tax credit from 10% to 25%, and the implementation of a review process before demolishing historic buildings.
It was not all sunshine and roses in Elliott’s speech, though. He spoke seriously about areas he wished his administration had done more on and issues that arose during his tenure. “I know we’re leaving the next council with some challenges and things that aren’t really solved yet,” Elliott said.
“I wish we could have done more to solve the homelessness situation,” Elliott said. During his tenure, the city was sued for evicting a homeless camp in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and saw homeless camps demolished during a state of emergency in 2024. Both of these events were ordered by city manager Robert Herron, who serves at the pleasure of council.
The council Elliott presided over approved a ban on urban camping–a ban that Elliott voted against–which could levy fines against those found in violation; and, city staff erected a homeless camp with numerous safety concerns, including lack of access for people with disabilities, distance from services, a lack of potable water, and fear of violence.
“We did give it a thorough effort, but it’s a much more complicated problem,” Elliott said of homelessness. “It’s going to take years, a lot more effort, and a lot more partnerships.”
Elliott reflected on the 2019 closure of the Ohio Valley Medical Center–a major employer in the city and the area’s only inpatient mental health clinic at the time. Now, the site is being demolished to make way for the WVU Cancer Center. “I do think we turned a lemon into some lemonade,” Elliott said of the project.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, Elliott said, “No one planned on a global pandemic happening. We had to adjust on the fly for that.” And adjust they did. The council moved to virtual meetings for a time, and it can be argued the city would not have experienced such growth had it not been for COVID-era relief programs.
Elliott spoke of the imposition of a user fee to fund upgrades to public safety in the city, a decision he says earned him a “nice newspaper cartoon” he still hangs in his office. “[That was] one of the toughest votes I’ve cast on this body.”
The city had put a property tax levy to public vote in 2018, but the measure was not adopted after it failed to reach a state-mandated 60% threshold. Instead, the council imposed a $2 per week ‘user fee’ on employees in the city to fund new police and fire headquarters.
“[Wheeling] went from having the worst facilities of any police department of any city…in the state to having the best, by far,” Elliott said of the police headquarters.
“We didn’t solve everything,” Elliott said. “I think we gave it the best effort we could.”
At the end of his address, Elliott praised his colleagues on council for their work.
Speaking of Councilor Ben Seidler, Elliott said “there’s no greater advocate for the folks on Wheeling Island.”
Elliott choked up speaking of Councilor Rosemary Ketchim, saying she “displayed so much grace and courage,” and called her a “trailblazer.”
On Councilor Jerry Sklavounakis, Elliott said he was “impressed by [his] approach” and how he “made [himself] relevant” on council.
Speaking of Councilor Ty Thorngate, Elliott said he was the “gold standard” for a politician and praised his commitment to his community.
Elliott said nominating Vice Mayor Chad Thalman to his positions has “been one of the best [decisions] that I’ve made.” He said the job was thankless, but critical to a successful council.
Speaking of Herron, Elliott said he at first “didn’t know if we would hit it off that well,” but came to realize “I was wrong.” Elliott thanked him for his work and stated the city had benefited from their different styles. “Council would give you a square peg and say ‘fit it in that round hole from a financial perspective,’” Elliott said of Herron. “Every time we ask, you’re able to deliver.”
Elliott finished his address by saying he had confidence in the next council’s ability to carry projects in the city. That new council will consist of a majority of incumbents–Seidler, Sklavounakis, Thorngate, and Councilor Dave Palmer.
On July 1, Mayor-elect Denny Magruder will be sworn in, succeeding Elliott as Mayor of Wheeling. Connie Cain will take over from Ketchum, and Tony Assaro for Thalman.
On July 2, the newly elected council will hold their first public meeting.