County Commissioner (Wayne)
Robert E. "Bob" Pasley
Contact: 304.272.6369
Website:
| Name: | Robert E. "Bob" Pasley |
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| Party: | Democrat |
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| Home City: | Wayne |
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| Home County: | Wayne |
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Biography:
Age:54 years old
Marital: Married 36 years to Cathy Taylor Pasley
Children: Matthew and his wife Christie of St.Louis, MO; John Tyler and his fiancee, Tonya Johnson;
Grandchild: Jackson Trenton Pasley of St. Louis, MO
Education: Wayne County Schools,1971 graduate of Wayne High School; Marshall University 1984 Honor Graduate, B.B.A in Accounting.
Experience: Deputy County Clerk, March 1977-September 1-1985; Appointed County Clerk, September 1, 1985; Elected County Clerk 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2004. Longest serving County Clerk in the history of Wayne County.
President of the West Virginia Association of Counties for two terms,1995 and 2006; former president of the WV Association of County and Circuit Clerks;former member of the board of directors of the National Association of Counties representing West Virginia; former chairman of the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Counties Risk Pool;member of the board of directors of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority;member of the board of directors of the Wayne County Community Services Organization; member of the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Home Consortium.
Other: Active in my church and volunteer with other groups.
Personal Statement:
I have been blessed to have been allowed to serve the citizens of Wayne County in the County Clerk's office for 31 years. I want to continue to serve Wayne Countians as their next County Commissioner.I believe the next five years are crucial to the growth and prosperity of Wayne County and I pledge to devote my full attention to the duties of the office.
- What needs to be done to improve economics of the county?
- Wayne County must do more to improve its infrastructure if the county is going to progress. Work on I-73/74 must be completed so that our western boundary can grow. The coming of the Prichard Inland Intermodal Port will require an interstate highway for the increased truck traffic we will experience. We must do more to insure that public water is available to our citizens and businesses. We need to aggressively recruit new businesses and develop a program to assist those businesses that are already here employing our citizens
- What can be done to help citizens at or below poverty level in the county?
- More needs to be done to communicate to our people concerning the programs and services available.Our Wayne County Health Department does an excellent job with limited resources to help low income folks. Housing, transportation,and job training programs are available but many do not know that they exist. I would support efforts to produce and dispense educational materials to our citizens so that they may become better informed.
- What can be done to improve the health of Wayne County citizens?
- Every household needs clean, safe drinking water. We need to educate our citizens on the consequences of unhealthy lifestyle choices and provide them with information to improve their health. Programs on childhood obesity, tobacco use, pre-natal care and preventive health care should be provided on a larger scale. I would like to see funding increased to our health department to enable them to provide more information to our people.
- What do you think needs to be done to improve emergency communications in the county?
- The enhanced-911 addressing project is underway now which will allow our emergency responders to more quickly locate a person in need. Our radio communications system needs to be upgraded so that we can comply with current regulations. I support funding our emergency agencies in obtaining the new narrow band digital radios that will be available in the near future.
- How would you ensure an adequate plan, such as in the event of a large natural disaster or pandemic flu, is in place in the county and that it reaches all county residents?
- I support the efforts of the Wayne and Cabell-Huntington health departments in developing and maintaining a comprehensive emergency plan. I would encourage cooperation between all emergency agencies so that in time of crisis everyone would be on the same page. Quality planning, cooperation and communication is the foundation to emergency planning.
- What makes you qualified to serve as a county commissioner? If you're an incumbent, what accomplishment(s) in the current term make you worthy of re-election?
- I have 31 years of experience in the county clerk's office, over 22 of which have been as the County Clerk. The day to day duties of the county commission are performed by the clerk.I have experience in drafting legislation and I have been successful in developing programs and legislation that benefit our county and state. I can bring people and projects together so that more people are included in the decision making process.
- What are the three most pressing issues that impact residents in Wayne County?
- We must have improved roads and public services.
We must find ways to battle the problems of illegal drugs and property theft.
The high cost of medicine and health care is devastating to our elderly and those without some type of insurance.
- In the upcoming term, what solutions would you propose for these three issues?
- I will impress upon our state and national leaders the importance of infrastructure improvements for our people and will leave no stone unturned until progress is made.
I will support funding to enhance law enforcement efforts to curb the ever increasing crime rate. Illegal drugs and property theft are so entwined that both problems must be addressed.
I will support our health department's programs.
- Regional jail costs continue to plague county budgets across the state. Notwithstanding action at the state level, how do you propose for Wayne County to deal with these costs?
- When Wayne County gets the second circuit judge I believe that the waiting time for trials will be shortened thereby reducing the time spent in jail. I support the concept of a single alternative sentencing program for non-violent offenders which would include community corrections, home confinement and a day reporting program. I will work with other counties to monitor the true costs of incarceration of inmates so that counties are fairly charged.
