The City of Chester embarks on the 2026-2030 administration with an experienced council with only one new face: Bill Kell will join Council for a four-year term won in the May 12 election.
Mayor Ed Wedgewood brings 8 years in City government to his second term as Mayor. Wedgewood served on Council for 4 years before taking on the leadership of the City. The City is picturesque with Carolina Avenue providing a main street for businesses, homes and those who walk it every day.
There’s no money in being Mayor of a small town whose population lingers around 2,000. There are, however, numerous headaches and challenges such as the City’s aging water/sewer system. Tackling the dilapidated structures that deter from the City’s appearance and marketability has been a focus for the Mayor.
As he begins his second term as Mayor, we asked Wedgewood why he pursued the job again and what he sees as the future for Chester and Hancock County.
What made you decide to continue as Mayor?
While there were a lot of successes in both my first term as mayor and 4 years on City Council, I still feel as though there are some items that need to be addressed.
Do you see economic development potential for the City of Chester?
Chester isn’t a large area and the area we do have for economic development is even smaller. There are a few spots in town that would be candidates for development, but they are held by private owners. It’s one area in which I wish the City had more controllable land to offer. In the interim, we will continue to demolish dilapidated buildings in town and hope that community improvement stays contagious.
One of your priorities has been to tear down the dilapidated structures. Do you plan to continue that project if money is available?
This is something that will continue annually with or without the availability of grant money. However, it is in the City’s best interest to utilize the grant money for this purpose if it is made available to us. We have budgeted for the demolition of dilapidated homes in the 2026 and 2027 budgets as it continues to be a top priority. I would say I’d like to expand into commercial demolition if the opportunity presented itself.
Any specific projects you plan to pursue?
The big project for this term will be the eventual replacement of the sewer plant. It is at the end of its expected lifespan and definitely is the most pressing issue. We have entered the engineering phase of the project with New River Engineers and we are awaiting the results of their engineering study. From there a concrete plan will be set and we will seek out financing. I’m expecting a large amount of grant money will be needed and we will work with local and state leaders to get the job done. Also, on the water front, I’d like to see the replacement of all of our water meters. New meters will allow us to finally enter the digital age and will give us new abilities to detect leaks easily using technology in the meter.
For the City, a lot of our projects have been completed. We’ve increased revenue, we’ve paved our roads, we have changed out the decorative street lights on Carolina Avenue, and we were able to change the municipal election to coincide with the primary election. However, we do need to tighten up our ordinances so that they meet modern times. We also need to concentrate on road maintenance. Public safety is also something we are continually concerned with and I believe our Chester PD is among the best around. I will help them anyway I can.
What is your vision for Hancock County?
Hancock County is in a period of adjustment. We’re still struggling to move on from the Weirton Steel days. We’re looking for that one big employer that’s going to give us all good paying jobs and a good life and I don’t know if that is going to happen for us. The new economy isn’t built to accommodate those huge plants anymore. It’s more about smaller plants with less employees. I think Hancock County would be best served if we concentrated on the energy sector. Either adding to the power grid or attracting new businesses that support the energy sector seem to be the best fit for the area. With the emergence of AI and data centers we are all going to need more energy. It’s our biggest opportunity and Hancock County would be smart to capitalize on it. Luckily, we have a strong workforce with the skills to fill those jobs. In the meantime, we need to support the businesses we do have. That includes big and small businesses. Speaking of small businesses, Chester is home to many great small businesses and if we are to expand our economic footprint we will need more of these to come into Chester and make it their home. As of this moment, Chester does not have a sit down restaurant where you can grab a beer for dinner. We have plenty of restaurants, but not the neighborhood watering hole where you can get a good meal and a cold drink. People miss the days of Hot Shots Bar and Grill, because it left us without a replacement in town. If I had to pick one business that if executed correctly could succeed wildly, it would be a bar and grill. Considering our lack of available footprint, picking up small businesses like a bar and grill is more attainable than attempting to bring a Fortune 500 company into town. In the incorporated areas and even Weirton, I’d be trying to attract the energy sector.
