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Shepherdstown Municipal Election candidates talk term plans

By Tabitha Johnston - Chronicle Staff | Jun 2, 2022

Haynes

SHEPHERDSTOWN — This Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m, the polls in Town Hall will be ready for Corporation of Shepherdstown residents to vote in the 2022 Municipal Election.

Unlike in the last Municipal Election, Mayor Jim Auxer is running unopposed for reelection.

“I am honored and humbled to be the mayor of Shepherdstown,” Auxer said. “It will be my mission to continue to make Shepherdstown a great place to live.”

As to his plans for his next term, the Shepherd University alumnus and retired Corrections Mental Health Counselor and Unit Manager of 45 years said he hopes to continue improving the town’s infrastructure.

“Currently, there is money available, and we have applied for grants to move forward on water, sewer, streets and sidewalks projects,” Auxer said. “[I would also like for us to see] better utilization of our waterfront access, long-range budget planning for all aspects of our town’s future infrastructure needs, a documented maintenance plan for our historic structures and updating of our Comprehensive Plan.”

Vigil

Town Recorder Lori Robertson will also be uncontested in this year’s race. Along with having served in her current role since 2008, Robertson also works in the community as the Morgan Academy operations manager and gardening instructor.

“I love the town and wanted to give two more years,” Robertson said, regarding her decision to run again.

Her reasons for doing so, include her positive working relationship with Auxer and her desire to help encourage the town’s growth, by considering the needs and interests of all Shepherdstown’s residents.

“I love the diversity and tolerance our tiny town offers!” Robertson said. “I support all of the businesses in Shepherdstown, and am proud of the female run businesses here.”

Current council members Cheryl Roberts, Marty Amerikaner, Jenny Haynes and Chris Stroech, however, will be running against some opposition over the five Town Council seats, from write-in candidates Leah Rampy and James Vigil.

Robertson

“Having benefitted from living in Shepherdstown, I was looking to increase my contribution to the community,” Rampy, who has a background in business and as a nonprofit’s executive director, said. “When I heard that there was an open position on the Town Council for which no one had filed, I decided (with gentle nudges from my neighbors) that it was time to offer my name as a write-in candidate.

“If elected, I look forward to working with those who contribute so much to this community. I hope that, together, we can find creative ways to support our local businesses, especially in challenging times such as these,” Rampy said. “I have focused on environmental issues for many years, and I welcome the opportunity to work wholeheartedly toward the [environmental] goals outlined in Shepherdstown’s Comprehensive Plan. These include protecting and expanding the commitment to green spaces, increasing sustainable energy sources that support this community, expanding land conservation to protect the environment and enhance quality of life and supporting quality local food.”

Vigil, like Rampy, has never held a public office. As the former Shepherd University Vice President for Administration, before transitioning to his current role as a management consultant for U.S. universities, Vigil has extensive experience in finance and administrative work.

Although Vigil has spent the last eight years living in Deerfield Village, he has recently moved back into the Corporation of Shepherdstown, where he previously lived, to make it possible for his son, who has autism, to walk to his work at Shepherd University.

“As with our especially abled son, the town has always made me feel welcome and included,” Vigil said, noting that, if elected, he will be able to represent the interests of a couple of minority groups, as a person of Hispanic and Native American heritage. “I do feel connected to my heritage and understand fully what it is like to look and seem different from others. Therefore, I want to use my unique and diverse perspective to serve persons from all heritages, races and special abilities.

Roberts

“My extensive management and operations experience will complement the diverse skills and experiences of those serving on the Town Council and town committees,” Vigil said. “As my wife puts it, I am a ‘gets stuff done’ kind of guy.”

For Shepherdstown native Roberts, continuing to serve on the Town Council is also an opportunity to speak up on behalf her respective minority group.

“I am a life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Eastern Panhandle Alumnae Chapter,” Roberts said. “I will always be a positive influence to the community as a member and as a representative of these organizations, which both serve to assure equity and inclusion, as well as advocating for and supporting issues of injustice and peace.”

Roberts currently works as the Shepherd University Athletic Assistant and a Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare Education Project Manager.

Amerikaner, like Auxer, has experience in the mental health field, as the former Marshall University Psychology Department Chair. Since being elected to the Town Council two years ago, Amerikaner has been a proponent for age-friendly and accessibility improvements in town.

Rampy

“I’m actively involved in Life Long Learning as a student and instructor, and I enjoy working with the terrific people in the Shepherdstown Film Society, Shepherdstown Area Independent Living (SAIL), Age Friendly Shepherdstown and the board of Shenandoah Health Clinic,” Amerikaner, who moved with his wife to Shepherdstown six years ago, said.

“For me, the theme of promoting the development of Shepherdstown as an “Age Friendly Community” has been a significant focus,” Amerikaner said. “The concept of ‘age-friendly communities’ originates with the World Health Organization and AARP; the basic idea is to prioritize community actions that help make the community healthier, safer and more enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities. Some of the highlights of this first term for me have been our progress on such things as developing the town’s new email list, working towards the development of an outdoor walking trail at Cullison Park, confirming the final funding for the bike path project out to Morgan’s Grove Park, additional funding made available to assist with sidewalk repairs and new curb cuts on key corners of town intersections. All of these contribute to key components of fostering an age-and-abilities friendly environment for our town.”

Stroech, who has lived in Shepherdstown for 12 years and specializes in property litigation at Arnold & Bailey, PLLC, is hoping to be reelected for a second term on the Town Council. In particular, he desires to integrate long-term strategic planning practices for the town.

“We need to do better with long-term strategic planning, as we will have significant development from the west and south over the next 10 years,” Stroech said, before discussing the area in which he particularly plans to focus his talents on, if reelected. “During my first term, I formed the Shepherdstown Grants Committee, which has been successful obtaining grants to assist residents who were impacted by COVID with their rent and utility payments and to purchase AED devices for all police vehicles. More importantly, the committee has helped identify specific needs in town, through meetings with varying stakeholder groups and departments. I hope to expand the efforts of the Grants Committee.”

Having lived in Shepherdstown since the age of eight, Haynes said her experience over the last two years on the Town Council have taught her the importance of community involvement. As it is, Haynes is heavily involved in the community, being the Shepherdstown Community Club vice president, Morgan’s Grove Park and War Memorial Building manager, The Station at Shepherdstown property manager and professional cook.

Amerikaner

“I am never afraid of getting my hands dirty or putting in hard work,” Haynes said, mentioning she thinks increasing the term limits for Town Council members would be beneficial to the town. “I care about Shepherdstown — I care about the community and what decisions are made to protect it for the future. We don’t do it for us, we really do it for the next generation.”