He’s the new guy on the block and councilman Brent Pyles wants to return to Ironton City Council and continue working for the city.

Friday, October 26, 2001

He’s the new guy on the block and councilman Brent Pyles wants to return to Ironton City Council and continue working for the city.

Pyles took over the council position after Hugh Donald Scott resigned on March 20. Pyles was appointed to council on April 5 and is required to run for Scott’s seat this November.

This is the first time Pyles has run for a political office but, he said, he has always had an interest in city politics. Pyles said he his "just now getting his feet on the ground" when it comes to city business. He said it takes time to absorb all of the information and build an opinion on city issues.

Pyles said he wanted to work on rebuilding the city’s finances, which means bringing more industry into Ironton, increasing its revenue base. "We (council) have to look at some creative ways to do that," he said.

Pyles said his experience in business management at the operations and corporate levels of private sector business will help him with his duties as a councilman.

Pyles works for the Huntington, W.Va. based Transfab, Inc. as the operations director. He is a graduate of Ironton High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ohio University.

Pyles said he feels it is good to have a mix of people on council so different perspectives can be shared about how to help run the city. Pyles said he desires to use all of the resources he has available to make good decisions for Ironton.

Pyles said he hopes Ironton residents go out and vote Nov. 6 and make an "informed decision" as to who they want to fill the council seat for the next four years.

Editor’s note: This is the third part of a series of interviews with those running for Ironton City Council. Council candidates are urged to contact the newsroom if they wish to be included.