MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—Morgantowen city council First Ward candidate Joe Abu-Ghannam is running for his first four-year term in the April 25 municipal election. Abu-Ghannam was appointed to the seat when Patrick Hathway, who was elected, was unable to serve due to an out-of-state job opportunity.
He is a Morgantown High School teacher and coach of the wrestling team who has lived in the First Ward for the last ten years. Abu-Ghannam is a WVU graduate, married, and has one son.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Abu-Ghannam said downtown safety issues are very important to the future of the city. He said after talking to business owners and care providers, the path forward should include solutions to help all sides.
“It’s not illegal to be unsheltered. It’s illegal to have mental health issues.” Abu-Ghannam said. “But we have to provide the opportunities and the tools necessary for these groups of people to get the help they need.”
Restarting the downtown police foot patrols is an important step forward and, according to Abu-Ghannam, an important part of addressing the issues. But he said councilors must stay engaged with police to fully understand the problem and the progress made to solve it.
“Strengthening our relationship with the police department in downtown in terms of giving them the tools to enforce the things they can and address the issues they can,” Au-Ghannam said.
The ten-year lease with Defense in Depth in Sabraton, which required an outlay of $500,000 down and annual payments of $240,000 to transform the facility into a dedicated training area for the Morgantown Police Department, is important. Abu-Ghannam said after listening to the needs of the police and considering officers currently have to travel up to 30 miles for training, the move made sense.
“I think in terms of money saved from people having to drive and commute and having our department nearby at all times, I see the safety benefit outweighing the financial concern,” Abu-Ghannam said.
Improving collaboration with the county, neighboring municipalities, state agencies, and the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) is a priority. The recent negotiation to add a city councilor to the MUB board was negotiated and is improving that relationship.
“Being able to have an opportunity to sit down in the room with all parties involved and to talk out those issues and concerns,” Abu-Ghannam said. “Because ultimately, I found that at the end of the day, everybody’s goal is the same.”
“Being able to shut down Madigan Avenue for Halloween and really starting to embrace trick-or-treating with the kids and making it more accessible, especially for kids in wheelchairs, has been really great,” Abu-Ghannam said.