HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Huntington Mayor Steve Williams recently gave his final remarks to his hometown city as his last term comes to an end.
Williams has served the City of Huntington since 2013, and most recently served as West Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, losing to Patrick Morrisey in the November General Election.
Steve Williams
An emotional Williams says the people choosing him to represent his home city was truly a gift.
“I was chosen to be the mayor of my hometown, what a gift,” Williams said. “With that honor, I give you thanks.”
“Being your mayor has been the honor of my lifetime. It has taught me the power of community, the importance of perseverance, and the value of hope,” Williams said. “Huntington has given me far more than I could ever give back, and for that, I will always be grateful.”
Williams says his administration has seen success despite challenges over the years.
“We’ve had difficult times in times past, but we have been able to get this at an even speed and being able to move forward,” Williams said. “It has been a joy to work with each of you and get to know each of you.”
Williams also says that the series of messes left behind by other administrations didn’t serve as excuses for Huntington during his time in office.
“When I began as mayor, Huntington was a city that had faced its share of struggles. We inherited challenges that could have defined us. Economic stagnation, the opioid epidemic, and the crumbling infrastructure, but together we refused to let those challenges dictate our future,” Williams said. “Instead, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.”
Williams, in fact, rolled up his sleeves to see Huntington was left in a better place than when he first took over as mayor. During the Williams’ administration, Huntington received $55 million worth of grants and investments for neighborhood revitalization, including a $3 million prize n the America’s Best Communities competition for economic development in 2017.
Williams says it was his mission to change the narrative of Huntington by making real, tangible changes to the city.
“When I first took office, I pledged to work tirelessly to make Huntington stronger, safer, and more vibrant. A place where all of us could thrive,” Williams said. “Together, we embarked on a journey to re-imagine what Huntington could be, and now looking back, I am so deeply proud of how far we’ve come.”
Williams says perhaps the largest success was facing the opioid epidemic head on.
“We didn’t shy away from the opioid crisis, we confronted it head on,” Williams said. “We became a national leader in recovery initiatives with programs that are saving lives and offering hope to families.”
During the Williams administration, Huntington created the Quick Response Team program, which reaches out to those who have overdosed to get treatment.
Williams also claims that Huntington was the first city in West Virginia to take out lawsuits against distributors and manufacturers of opioids. Huntington received a check for $2.7 million in January as payout from a historic settlement with drug companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. During Williams’ time in office, Huntington and the Cabell County Commission made claims against the Big 3 opioid distributors (AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson) for their roles in the epidemic, with a ruling coming from the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that Huntington and the county failed to show that the companies’ actions were a “public nuisance.”
Williams’ final message to the people of Huntington highlighted the citizens’ spirit over the last 12 years, saying it carried the city to where it is now.
“For 12 years I’ve had the incredible honor of serving as your mayor, and tonight as I conclude this chapter, I’m reminded of the journey we’ve shared,” Williams said. “Our challenges, our triumphs, and the unbreakable spirit of the city that has carried us through it all.”
Williams will be succeeded in office by Republican Patrick Farrell, who beat out Jennifer Wheeler, the Democratic nominee, in November.