Sep. 14 -- The local political season is off to a hot start with another mayoral candidate and the first City Council candidate announcing Thursday -- almost a year before the vote -- that they are entering Decatur's 2025 municipal elections.
Local television and radio station owner Suzie Wiley became the fourth person this week to announce her mayoral candidacy.
Small business owner Pam Werstler said she is running for District 4 seat on the City Council.
City qualifying for the municipal election is June 10-25. The cost to register to run is $50. The election is Aug. 26, 2025, with the runoff, if necessary, 28 days later on Sept. 23. The next four-year term begins Nov. 3, 2025.
Wiley joins Kent Lawrence, Butch Matthews and Justin Weil in the race for the empty seat after Mayor Tab Bowling said in October he will not run for a third term.
The mayor serves a four-year term at an annual salary of $106,000.
"I believe in my city, and I can get things done," Wiley said. "I've proved in the past that I can get things done that nobody else would tackle. I can get things done at no cost to the city."
If elected as mayor, Wiley said she will "start from day 1 finding out what the city needs and what the people want. This is not about Suzie Wiley and what I want. A lot of things will change before November 2025."
Wiley, 76, and her husband, Bill, own WYAM TV-59 and WYAM AM-890 radio station. The couple moved to Decatur from Youngstown, Ohio, in 1995. They bought the station that she now runs in 2003. -- HR professional
Werstler is seeking the seat occupied by incumbent Hunter Pepper, who has not said whether he plans to seek a second term.
District 4 covers the heart of the city in Southwest Decatur, stretching from the CSX railroad to the west side of the Beltline Road as far as Oak Lea Road Southwest.
Council members serve a four-year term and receive an annual salary of $15,995.
The owner of Acorn to Oak Consulting, Werstler has over 25 years of experience in human resources. She worked for 20 1/2 years at National Packaging Co. in human resources.
Werstler has been on the city's Personnel Board for 12 years. She is currently serving as vice chairwoman. She has been on the Morgan County Personnel Review Board for 13 years, currently serving as chairwoman.
She is the president of the board of directors of the Decatur Women's Chamber of Commerce and the Volunteer Center of Morgan County. She is on the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce board of directors.
Werstler said she believes her experience as a certified business coach, certified HR professional and mediator "gives me a unique perspective that will be beneficial to the City Council."
She said her focus will be "on ensuring accountability, fiscal responsibility, transparency while always considering how the City Council's actions impact the citizens of Decatur. Unintended consequences can have a huge negative impact."
Werstler, 65, and her husband, Tom, live on Byron Avenue Southwest. She has two children, two stepchildren, two grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and four step great-grandchildren.