Wetzel seeks to continue serving city

Believes city should remain focused on infrastructure

Posted 10/29/24

John Wetzel is looking to extend his service to the City of Powell, seeking a second full term as mayor.

“We have a good staff and a good city council, and hopefully we can kind of …

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Wetzel seeks to continue serving city

Believes city should remain focused on infrastructure

Posted

John Wetzel is looking to extend his service to the City of Powell, seeking a second full term as mayor.

“We have a good staff and a good city council, and hopefully we can kind of continue in that avenue,” Wetzel said. “In this world of slightly contentious politics, we seem to run pretty harmoniously.”

Wetzel has been involved in the city government for the better part of two decades, having been first elected to the Powell City Council in 2006. His colleagues chose him to become mayor following the death of Mayor Don Hillman in 2017, and voters kept Wetzel in the position during the 2018 and 2020 elections.

This time around, the 64-year-old incumbent is being challenged by Kade Richmond, the owner of Richmond Brothers Construction and a former Powell police officer. 

“Obviously, I’ve done it for a long time, and would probably gladly step down … if I saw a solid replacement,” Wetzel said, “but there’s still projects that we can do, and I think it’s still a good place for me to spend my community service time.”

In the coming years, he said the city needs to remain focused on infrastructure — making sure “that the water and the electricity and the garbage and all that stuff gets taken care of.”

For example, Wetzel said he’s excited about a long-awaited project to upgrade and expand the stormwater drainage system at the end of Division Street, near Northwest College. The council expects to award a bid for the job at their next meeting.

He’s also excited about a new splash pad at Homesteader Park. The project — which is under contract and expected to be completed by the end of May — is being half-funded by a federal grant. Since the city shuttered the park’s wading pool in 2017, Wetzel said there have been “constant” requests from residents for a replacement.

“My understanding is that [splash pad] really will not be much of a huge operation and maintenance thing for parks [staff], but it’ll be a big draw for the folks in town to have something to do in the summer,” Wetzel said, adding, “We need things for our kids and families to do.”

One of Richmond’s biggest concerns is to get more people involved with the city government, and Wetzel said he shares that aim. Last year, Wetzel helped launch a new Citizens Academy that helped a dozen local residents learn about the ins and outs of the city’s operations over a series of weekly sessions. Another academy is tentatively planned for next year.

“We need more people involved in city government,” Wetzel said, noting that the city also offers “tons” of opportunity to serve on boards.

As for being open to development — another area where Richmond believes the city needs to improve — Wetzel said he believes the city already has low barriers to constructing housing. He also referenced changes the city has made to allow smaller lot sizes and half-streets.

“We listen to our contractors, we listen to our developers,” Wetzel said. “The directive from the council is to do what we can to be a development-friendly place.”

He said the city will continue to partner with Powell Economic Partnership and remain involved with events like Northwest College’s annual Paint the Town Red event.

“The city wants to be part of the community,” he said, adding that, “we’re all about growing and developing Powell.”

Wetzel’s wife, Shelby, is one of the Tribune’s three co-owners and as a result, he abstains from voting on the city’s advertising in the Tribune.

Wetzel previously managed the Buyer’s Guide, a shopper that was jointly owned by the Tribune and the Cody Enterprise. After the closure of that publication in 2022, Wetzel became a regional business counselor for 307 IMPACT, a University of Wyoming unit focused on boosting startup businesses. Then this spring, he became the general manager of Trebro Manufacturing of Billings, a company that makes turf harvesting equipment.

As for his role as mayor, Wetzel said he enjoys the job and helping the city run smoothly.

Wetzel came out on top in August’s primary election — earning 55.5% of the vote to Richmond’s 43.7% share — but those results were effectively just a warmup. The only results that matter are those from the Nov. 5 general election.

The winner will serve a four-year term.

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