APPOINTED OR ELECTED — Wellsburg Council agreed, by a 6-1 vote Tuesday, to place the issue of whether the city clerk and collector-treasurer should be appointed or elected on ballots in the city’s June 13 general election. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — Whether the city clerk and city collector-treasurer should be elected or appointed and recent vandalism to a local park were among matters before Wellsburg Council on Tuesday.

Council voted 6-1 to place the two issues concerning the municipal offices on the ballot. Supporting the move were 1st Ward Councilmen Jack Kins and Jerry Nichols, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Mary Margaret Rosso, 3rd Ward Councilmen Randy Fletcher and Tom Gaudio and 4th Ward Councilwoman Della Serevicz.

Second Ward Councilman Paul Billiard didn’t attend the meeting.

Voting against was 4th Ward Councilman Charlie Harris, who said earlier the positions are too important not to be decided by an election and electing them ensures they are filled by city residents.

Duties for the collector-treasurer include bookkeeping for the city’s revenue and payroll for city staff and submitting various financial data to the state auditor’s office.

The city clerk oversees the city’s elections and takes minutes for council meetings.

Both officials currently are elected, serving four-year terms.

In recent months, City Clerk Amanda Dudley resigned from the office, citing health issues, but, when no one applied to fill the vacancy, she agreed to return to oversee the election.

The collector-treasurer position has been held in recent years by a number of people who left to take non-elected positions.

However, Mary Ann Habbit, the current collector-treasurer, was one of four applicants considered for council’s mid-term in 2021.

At an earlier meeting, the question was raised as to whether one objection may block a city charter change required to make the two offices appointed.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, City Solicitor Ryan Weld said a written objection could block council from making the changes itself but not from putting them up for vote and then a majority of votes will decide the issue.

Voters in the general election also will choose from candidates for seats representing the city’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd wards. Candidates for a 4th Ward seat and collector-treasurer are unchallenged.

In other business, Mayor Dan Dudley commented on vandalism at the ball field at the city’s Betty Carr Recreation Site around March 15.

City Police Chief Mike Allman said graffiti spray painted in a pinkish color on the back of the dugout and concession stand included slurs of a racial and homosexual nature and sexual images.

Dudley said he’s personally offended by the graffiti as an African-American and one who has friends who are homosexual.

“When we do catch these people, I want them to be punished to the fullest extent. It just has to stop,” he said.

Allman said the graffiti has been covered since and the matter remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident, which occurred at night, is encouraged to call his department at (304) 737-1121.

The mayor and other officials have noted volunteers with the Wellsburg Baseball and Softball Association and others have worked hard in recent years to improve the park.

Fletcher suggested a portion of federal pandemic relief money awarded to the city be allotted to upgrade security cameras at the parks and on other city property.

He said thousands of dollars have been invested in recent years in repairing vandalized restrooms at the parks.

Harris suggested city police perform random patrols of the parks and other areas, adding there were reports of multiple cars being broken into along state Route 2 last weekend.

Allman said he and his officers do conduct random patrols of the parks on foot and the vehicles in question were left unlocked.

He said in many cases, his department isn’t informed of criminal or suspicious activity when it’s occurring, which is essential to catching the suspects involved.

In related business, Gaudio advised the park’s pickleball courts have been set up for the warmer months and are available to all who are interested.

In recent months, a pickleball league has been formed that also plays in the former Wellsburg Middle School in the colder months.

Council also learned two picnic tables donated by Lombardi Development will be placed at Central Park and a Brooke High School student is interested in restoring historical signs in the city for her honors project.

Plans were made to invite the student to submit a letter to council and to notify county officials who may be responsible for the signs.

In other business:

— By a 6-1 vote, council authorized City Manager Steve Maguschak to expend up to $50,000 in federal pandemic relief funds for repairs to City Hall. Maguschak said he hopes to repair deteriorating plaster walls in the building, its side porch and other areas.

Voting against the move was Harris, who said he’d like to see the money applied to potholes and stormwater issues.

He was told city crews will be hot-patching many potholes and was encouraged to submit a list of those he would like to be addressed.

— A special meeting at 5 p.m. next Tuesday, to consider the 2023-24 budget, was announced.