New Year, New Village Council
Four new council members will take their seats in January after the Barnesville community voted them into office in November.
Lindsay Dowdle, Cole Carpenter, Mark Lucas and Brad English will then take the seats in January joining Robyn Misner and Terry McCort who are midway through four-year terms.
Dowdle, a marketing strategist at West Virginia University Medicine Barnesville Hospital, said she feels very excited about being elected to council and looks forward to helping the Barnesville community thrive and continue to grow.
Lindsay Dowdle. Photo provided.
Dowdle added she is already an active member of the community who is involved in multiple local organizations and regularly attends community events and activities.
Dowdle said she understands the decisions she will make will affect her neighbors, local business and the village as a whole, as well as herself.
“Being able to interact with the community helps me stay connected to what’s happening in Barnesville and understand the needs and priorities of our community …,” she said. “My goal is to make thoughtful, community-centered decisions and ensure that the members of our community have a clear understanding of why those decisions were made.”
Cole Carpenter, a maintenance technician, feels honored to have been elected to council. He added this opportunity comes with a sense of responsibility and is grateful the community placed its trust in him with its votes.
Cole Carpenter. Photo provided.
Carpenter described himself as a husband, dad and patron in the village, living with his wife, Hannah Carpenter, and raising their son in Barnesville. The couple regularly visits Barnesville Memorial Park, participates in activities and enjoys local events including trick-or-treat, parades and the Pumpkin Festival.
Carpenter said he plans to be an active council member that attends all feasible meetings. Although he has a career that may occasionally cause scheduling conflicts, he said he will thoroughly review meeting minutes and be present for important issues.
“I simply want everyone that voted for me to feel that they voted correctly. I will not waste this opportunity that I have been given,” he said, “and will do my absolute best to end this term with Barnesville being in a better place than it was when I arrived. Not that it’s in a bad spot currently, but onward and upward is the name of the game.”
Lucas said he feels good and humbled for being elected to council.
Mark Lucas. Photo provided.
“I believe being born and raised in Barnesville is my advantage for the undertaking I’m about to do,” he said.
English, a nursing home administrator, feels honored that he was voted onto council and thinks the election results show the community is ready for a change, and he’s happy to be a part of it.
English has been a part of the Barnesville community for 30 years, stating he’s seen many changes over the years. English plans to be transparent when on council.
“I want to see more transparency and communication from the local government. We need to get serious about getting information out to the masses and we need community feedback,” he said. “Council needs to have a proactive mindset to make sure the future of Barnesville remains bright. I’m excited to work with my fellow council members and the mayor to see that goal be achieved.”
Brad English. Photo provided.
The four members will attend their first council meeting on January 12. Barnesville Council meets every other week in the municipal building on N. Arch St.
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