PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – Republican Parkersburg City Council District 2 member Sharon Kuhl is seeking her third term.

Democrat Sue Ellen Waybright challenges her.

Kuhl said the city’s accomplishments during his first two terms demonstrate his ability to work with the council and administration to get things done, from addressing blight to improving infrastructure.

“I think we’ve cleaned over 225 houses in the eight years I’ve been on the council and of course we’re not done yet,” he said. “Our streets are being paved. Under this administration and department heads more streets have been paved. “They have done a great job.”

Waybright said her professional experience outside of politics prepares her well to bring a new perspective to the office with a focus on the fiscal side of things.

“Almost 40 years of accounting experience, with small and large companies,” he stated. “My last big employer was public debt, which is where I learned government accounting. I have attended regular council meetings, but I have also attended some of the budget hearings. I’ve heard some of the concerns from citizens who say, ‘Well, why are they spending money on this? And why don’t they fund that?’”

Both candidates said housing would be a top priority for their terms if elected.

“Right now, building a home costs a lot,” Kuhl said. “Interest rates right now are unbearable for people to even try to get a single home. Until that is fixed, we won’t really see people building houses because they can’t afford them.”

“We have a home occupancy rate of over 99%,” Waybright said. “We don’t have enough affordable housing at all socioeconomic levels. People can’t move; People are afraid of getting kicked out because they know that if they do, they will pay a higher rate or a higher mortgage. So they will stay there.”

Both Kuhl and Waybright said addressing these housing issues is crucial to economic development and attracting people and businesses to Parkersburg.

“Several companies have considered Parkersburg as a place to set up a business, and when they find out that we have a 99% occupancy rate and no housing for their employees, they let us pass and go with someone else. Waybright said. “So I think that’s going to have to be like this: If we want to create jobs, we have to make housing available and relevant to the people coming in.”

“I mean, who can afford what cost us $80,000 to build a house 20 or 15 years ago and now costs us almost $300,000?” Kuhl said. “I want businesses to come to Parkersburg.”

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