News : Vinton City Council Appoints Recker to 4th Ward Council Seat

Council Appointed Wesley Recker to fill the 4th Ward Vacancy

The Vinton City Council heard from two candidates in their search to fill the 4th Ward City Council seat. The appointee would serve through 2025 until the next municipal election.

First up was Jr Shemmel. Shemmel along with his wife and son has lived in Vinton since 1998. His wife Deb retired three years ago from Virginia Gay Hospital, and Shemmel retired from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, last June after 28 years. He is currently a reserve police officer for the City of Vinton where he has served since 2017. Because of his government job, he hasn't been able to work in the community, so he felt this would be a great way to give back and be more involved.

During his career in the government, he has spent his career enforcing regulations. His job had taken him down to work on the border with Border Patrol and he gave a shout out to the work that is being done there. He felt that he could bring his experience to the seat and that he had no agenda.

He was asked if he knew anyone on the council, and he only knew Tami Stark as a neighbor and Zach Parmater's brother.

The second candidate was Wesley Recker. Recker has lived in the community for 6 years and is a Social Studies teacher for the 7th grade at Vinton-Shellsburg addressing contemporary global issues. The father of three said that he has two children in middle school and the youngest will start in the three-year-old preschool.

He shared that because he's come from out of town he's observed and benefited a lot from different projects in Vinton. He also has some ideas for the town.

He grew up on a farm and is involved in his church so working in the community is something he felt he wanted to do. His experience as a teacher gives experience in dealing with a variety of situations. He'd like to see more businesses brought into the community. He believes that the Vinton Parks and Rec has done an excellent job in meeting the needs of young families in the community and said that the new development has also a benefited to his family.

When asked if he knew anyone on the council he said he knows Bud a little, but not well. And knows no one else personally on the council.

The council tossed around the pros and cons of each candidate. It was a tough call. If Shemmel filled the seat, Shemmel would have to give up his position in the police department to serve on the council. That would leave the department short-handed and the council appreciated that it is always hard to fill these positions. Another good thing that Shemmel brought to the table was his experience in government and the fact that he's retired would allow him to give more time.

With Recker, the council felt that a younger family and being newer to the community might offer perspectives that the other members might not have.

The council struggled to decide which candidate to choose, knowing that both would be excellent choices.

in the end, the candidate chosen unanimously by the council was Recker. He will serve in the seat vacated by Bethany Gates in the 4th Ward Seat until the November 2025 election.