MORGANTOWN – With nine days remaining before the Jan. 31 candidate filing deadline for the May 12 primary election, incumbent Jeff Arnett and challenger Julie Knight, both Democrats, have thus far stepped forward seeking a six-year term representing the Eastern District on the Monongalia County Commission.
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Jeff Arnett
Following Wednesday’s meeting, incumbent Commissioner Jeff Arnett made his intent to seek a second six-year commission term official.
Arnett, a real estate attorney, has served on the three-member commission since Jan. 1, 2021, after defeating Republican Ed Hawkins in the November 2020 general election.
“It’s like anything else. You have expectations, but until you get in there and do it, you just don’t know. I just knew that I had goals in mind that I wanted to see economic development be at the forefront of what we do, and I think we’ve been able to do that,” he said.
“Once you get the economic development to the point where you have the funds to do the kinds of things you want to do, that opens up the door for tackling a lot of other issues, social issues. We’ve put a ton of money into the [Morgantown Community Resources] project, Hazel’s House of Hope, and various organizations … But the economic development and the tax dollars that come in enable us to do things like that. That’s why we always try to strive toward economic development first, and that allows us to be involved in a lot of other things.”
Arnett said he believes the work accomplished by the current roster of commissioners speaks for itself.
“I just kind of want to keep the team together,” he said. “I think we’ve got a really good group, and we’ve gotten a lot accomplished over the last five years. But we have a lot of projects that still need to see the finish line – Exit 155, the Harmony Grove interchange, the Morgantown Industrial Park access bridge; and continuing economic development, the expansion of WestRidge and the road to Mylan Park. These are high priorities that we have to keep moving forward and keep the momentum going that we’ve built over the last five years.”
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Julie Knight
Julie A. Knight, a Realtor and longtime resident of Monongalia County, filed candidacy paperwork with the Monongalia County Clerk’s office on Tuesday.
In a release issued later that day, Knight’s campaign said her time working in real estate has afforded the opportunity to see firsthand the challenges of housing affordability in Monongalia County.
“A 28-year resident of Monongalia County, Knight has witnessed our community thrive and grow but also sees areas that can be improved. She believes that while development brings opportunity, the quality of life of our residents must remain a top priority for the county commission,” the release states.
“She will partner with elected officials and private citizens to identify opportunities to create affordable communities, stabilize rents, invest in water and sewage infrastructure, and identify common-sense energy solutions.”
While recognizing the great strides taken by Morgantown City Council and Main Street Morgantown to bring vibrancy to downtown Morgantown, Knight said she will work tirelessly as a county commissioner to be an active partner in furthering that progress.
“Borrowing successful ideas from other communities, I will fight to bring compassionate, creative solutions for our unhoused neighbors; unravel the problem of large trucks traversing our downtown streets; and improve our infrastructure,” Knight said. “As a problem solver and a hard worker with a passion to improve the quality of life for our community, I would be honored to serve on the Monongalia County Commission.”
