It’s the end of an era in the city of Chester.
Mayor Wendell Butler presided over his final meeting of city council on Wednesday. With the arrival of the new year he will turn over the reins to new Mayor John Linder, the Democrat who defeated him in the November election.
I’ve always liked Butler. And I feel for him. The guy has one of the toughest jobs in the county.
He’s guiding a city desperately trying to remake itself. It shows tremendous growth in some areas, while still plagued by problems in others.
And, it is still saddled with one of the worst school districts in the state.
Butler should be remembered for the spectacular growth that is underway along the city’s riverfront, where Harrah’s, PPL Park and the Wharf at Rivertown form a troika pointing the way to the city’s promising future.
But I will choose to remember Butler for the series of town hall meetings he held two summers ago, when a rash of fatal shooting was threatening the progress the city was making and tear it apart at the seams.
Critics would say those sessions were little more than political theater. I disagree. Every Thursday night Butler went to a different section of the city and talked to people.
Butler has given much of his adult life to the city where he grew up, first as a city cop, then as chief, and finally as mayor. His towering presence in the city will be missed.
You can read John Kopp’s profile on the mayor here.
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