MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One of the longest-tenured members on Morgantown City Council will not seek another term in office.
Less than a week before the deadline to file as a candidate for council in the 2025 Morgantown Municipal Election, Second Ward Councilor Bill Kawecki announced at the end of the council’s regular meeting Tuesday that he will not run for re-election. Kawecki, who plans to spend more time with his family, will leave office after serving on the council for over ten years, which included involvement in several developments within city limits as well as work with local organizations across the Morgantown area.
“It was never really my intention to continue (serving),” said Kawecki. “It’s difficult to give something up that you worked so much on, and that you seen so much progress on that you want to see continue,” he said.
Kawecki began his tenure on the Morgantown City Council in 2013, where he defeated sitting mayor Jim Manilla for the Second Ward seat. He also served as mayor between 2017 and 2019 during his tenure, where he voted in support of developments related to the Sunnyside neighborhood, the East End Village development (Richwood Redevelopment Project), as well as improvements to the city parks and recreation system (BOPARC) while in office. While Kawecki is prepared to move on to the next phase of his life, he’ll also reflect fondly on the work that took place during his tenure.
“You can go down the line from Sunnyside Up, what the MMMPO (Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization) is working on, to the airport, to Richwood, to downtown, and things were done there,” said Kawecki. “And with the cooperation that we’ve managed to succeed with, it’s a good step forward, and I would like to see them continue on,” he said.
Despite his over decade-long tenure in public office, Kawecki still plans to remain involved with City of Morgantown-related activities. This includes staying active on the City of Morgantown’s Historic Landmarks Commission, the City Housing Advisory Commission, and the Greenmont Neighborhood Association, which he has also been a part of as a city resident. While his active role in the day-to-day dealings of the city will greatly diminish, the former mayor feels confident in the city administration going forward.
“We’ve got a very good administrative staff, we’ve made considerable progress, and it’s a very hopeful time for Morgantown,” said Kawecki. “And what I’m leaving behind, I’ll miss because I would like to see the seeds planted grow,” he said.
Morgantown City Clerk Christine Wade announced during the council’s meeting that resident Jodi Hollingshead is the only candidate running for Morgantown City Council in the Second Ward. Morgantown Deputy Mayor Jenny Selin, who’s the longest-serving member on the council, and resident Michael O’Brien are running for the Fourth Ward council seat. Residents Mark Downs and Stephanie Hunt are set to run in the Sixth Ward council seat that is currently occupied by Councilor Dave Harshbarger.
“Folks can still turn in their certificate of announcement until February 10th,” said Wade. “75 valid signatures should be turned in, also by February 10th, so if we still have folks who would like to run, you can do that,” she said.
The deadline for those still wishing to run for Morgantown City Council is February 10. Election Day is April 29.