Magazine names Monongah’s John “Johnboy” Palmer ‘mayor of the year’

Dec. 23—FAIRMONT — John “JohnBoy” Palmer received a feather for his cap to end the year from West Virginia Living Magazine.

The publication’s readers named him Mayor of the Year, which West Virginia Living ran as part of its Best of WV 2023 roundup in its winter issue. The magazine collects nominations statewide for the contest in July, with readers voting on the nominees in September and October.

“The fact that he, as mayor of a small town, had enough people that were passionate about what he does for the town, to get them to come out and vote and win over the largest cities in the state speaks volumes to how people view him,” said Meggan Hoyman, marketing and operations manager for New South Media, which publishes the magazine. “To me, it is really impactful that the mayor of a small town came out on the top of this category because of his passion for his talent and for his people.”

Hoyman said her company and magazine’s mission is to elevate stories in West Virginia and give a positive perception of the state, to people living both in and out of the state. She said the Morgantown-based magazine celebrates its 15th year this year.

Palmer’s victory came despite nominations from cities such as Charleston also being on the list, making his victory all the more remarkable when paired against the larger population base that Charleston’s mayor has to draw on compared to Monongah.

“It’s shocking, I mean it really is, it’s awesome,” Palmer said. “Just thinking of all the bigger towns in the state and here we are in little old Monongah.”

If anything, the competition revealed the level of support and goodwill Palmer has earned in his town from residents there.

Palmer is a very hands on mayor, deeply enmeshed within his community. Town Recorder and Mayoral Matriarch Teresa Palmer, said her son is well known for the work he does, whether it’s playing Santa Claus, repairing a local ballpark, shepherding water infrastructure programs along to completion or even helping people rebound after a fire.

Roughly two months ago, an apartment fire in Monongah displaced six families. Palmer immediately worked the internet and roughly two or three hours later, secured clothing and furniture for the victims. He also organized a fundraiser to help the families get back on their feet. Teresa Palmer said Palmer is difficult to keep up with, he has so much energy.

“He’s just a young spirited person,” Teresa Palmer said. “He’s got a young heart even though he’s in his 30s. He wants to do good for the whole town but mostly for the kids that aren’t quite as fortunate as everyone. So he does a lot for the kids. He has movie nights.”

If the fire incident showcased his sense of action, the ballpark repair demonstrates his political acumen. After Consol Energy declined to repair a collapsing wall at the edge of the town’s ballfield, Palmer worked to find a solution. He managed to have the field donated to the town at no cost from the coal company, and then worked with local elected officials, the Marion County Commission and the Marin County Parks and Recreation Commission to rebuild the wall. That project finally came to fruition in the past few weeks, restoring a field that Palmer himself enjoyed as a kid.

Palmer is very much a product of Monongah’s environment.

“It’s a close knit community, it’s an old mining town,” Teresa Palmer said. “Mostly everyone back in the day used to work in the coal mines, but now we got young folks that moved in town and they’ve got other jobs with computer technology. But, everybody seems to be real welcoming to each other. If you see a stranger, just introduce yourself, and ask if they need any help. It’s just a close knit community.”

It’s that quintessential character the town possesses that inspires Palmer to continue serving it.

“I love Monongah,” Palmer said. “My uncle laughs at me, he lives in D.C. He grew up here in Monongah. I’ll never leave Monongah, I love Monongah. I love our community, it’s a nice little town and I want to see it thrive, get the best potential it could have. And as long as I keep getting elected I’ll keep busting my butt to make sure that Monongah does.

This past Wednesday, Palmer was presented a “Key” to Marion County by the county commission. Earlier this year, he was paired with Fairmont Mayor Anne Bolyard to raise money and perform in the final edition of Marion County Dancing With the Stars to benefit the Tygart Valley United Way and the Marion County Chamber of Commerce.

Reach Esteban at [email protected]