T-L File Photo St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman, pictured during a July council meeting, has announced she will be running for reelection.

By ROBERT A. DEFRANK

Times Leader Staff Writer

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Mayor Kathryn Thalman plans to seek reelection, saying she is concluding a successful first term with many ongoing projects.

“We’ve got too much good stuff going on to stop now, so I want to see it through,” Thalman said.

Thalman was elected in a turbulent three-way race against then-incumbent mayor Terry Pugh and fellow challenger Bill Brooks. The chief issue of contention was whether to sell the city’s aging water treatment system to the private entity Aqua Ohio or to undertake extensive repairs to the city’s water infrastructure and eventually begin purchasing water from Belmont County.

She started her term in 2020 just prior to the onset of COVID-19 and helmed the city through the height of the pandemic.

“That was very difficult,” she said, adding that her contacts from her pharmaceutical background helped in arranging lab tests for city workers. “We put a protocol in place to keep employees safe.”

Since then, Thalman has sought funding options as the city undertook the beginning of water distribution system repairs, with the help of federal grant dollars.

“When you go out toward the (Ohio Valley) mall, you see guys digging up the lines and they’re moving closer into town, so they’re getting all that infrastructure replaced, which is fabulous,” she said. “I want to see that infrastructure replaced.”

This has meant an increase in water rates.

“It had to. It hadn’t been raised in 30 years, and in order for us to get any grants or anything, we had to show that we were willing to fund some of it, and that meant raising water very, very minimally. Unfortunately, nothing is going to stay the same, but we’re doing it very judiciously and as little as we had to.”

She said the city is also providing utility service for a Trinity Health System neighborhood hospital that will be built along U.S. 40 near Plaza West.

“The fact that we’re getting a hospital — I could not be happier. We have worked so closely with Trinity to make this happen, and I’ve told them anything they need to make this reality, we’ll do,” she said.

Thalman said an additional benefit of the hospital will be increased property values.

Thalman also mentioned other improvements, such as renovations for the J.B. Martin Recreation Center including new paint and flooring work.

“It looks like a brand-new place,” she said.

Other future projects include repairs and upgrades to a building near the rec center, which could have more uses such as hosting events and fundraisers.

“We’ve got grants that we haven’t even started building on yet,” Thalman said. “We’ve received part of a grant for that, so as soon as we get that money in-hand we’ll start working on that and making it a place people can rent or do classes in there.”

“I’m very proud of that. I’m very proud we did not sell our water to Aqua. I think we will have this as soon as the county gives us the go-ahead. We will have our water and not need a third party in between to charge us even more,” Thalman said.

Another project on the horizon includes upgrades to a tunnel on the bike trail.

Thalman said there are also challenges ahead, such as the recent decision to “mothball” a 4-year-old, 500,000-gallon water tank. The tank could not be properly used, apparently because it was built at too low an elevation.

“The thing that’s got me most concerned now is that $2.2 million tank, and we’ve got water out there, so we’re trying to figure out what exactly the plan will be. But I’m real unhappy with that, and that was the previous administration’s white elephant. That’s going to be tedious, trying to decide how to make the best of that situation.”

Thalman said another of her goals was building a sense of community with events such as parades on special occasions like Independence Day.

“We have brought back a real community spirit and feeling in this town, which had been missing,” she said. “We have concerts at the gazebo and they are attended very, very well.

“I attend just about every event in our town, and I do it willingly and happily and enthusiastically. And I really feel like I’ve earned the right to ask people to elect me again,” Thalman said. “I’ve worked very hard and I think people see that, and I know we’re going in a good direction.”