Authored by Robert Matheny, newly elected Mayor of Bridgeport, WV
“To faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Mayor to the best of my skill and judgment” — The words of my newly-sworn oath replay in my mind, filling the stretch of time as I wait for my next meeting to begin.
In the thick of a major turning point, it’s interesting how time seems to stretch, just enough to allow for reflection, awareness and the beginnings of growth. And in the next moment, this introspection is halted by the familiar voice of Jim Hunt. We’re colleagues now, but at the outset of my career, I was a foot cop patrolling the same streets he resided over as mayor.
The agenda for this meeting was focused on the mission we currently share: wellness for local government employees. Knowing Jim, I sense this conversation, like so many in the past, will guide me toward a larger takeaway.
He dives right in, “Robert, did you see the Smart Cities Dive article about community wellbeing?” I had. “I think it really supports our approach, don’t you?” I do.
Having spent most of my career in law enforcement, I deeply understand the pervasiveness of mental health issues and the intricate nature of managing them. Having just been sworn into my first mayoral term, one truth stands now out to me. The future of our communities depends on our ability to pivot from a reactive stance on wellness to a proactive one.
I know the pressures that cities face. Budgets are tight. Priorities compete. But investing in employee wellness — especially for those on the front lines — pays off in stronger retention, better performance, lower costs and fewer crises. It also says something powerful to your workforce: you matter.
That’s a lesson Jim Hunt has embodied for the last six decades. He showed me early on that taking care of the people around you adds up to taking care of a community. In these modern days of technology, efficiency and automation, he reminds me that we can’t lose site of the individual humans behind every municipal issue.
There are some critically concerning statistics that every American city and town need to face sooner rather than later:
- 7 in 10 deaths in America are attributed to preventable chronic diseases.
- More first responders will die by suicide than in the line of duty.
- The leading cause of bankruptcy in America is healthcare costs.
As sad as each of these statistics is individually, together, they illuminate a sadder truth. Our healthcare system wasn’t built for real people facing real crises — it was built to manage symptoms, not prevent suffering.
The result of this broken system is avoidance. The average American is either avoiding the physical and mental care that they need, or avoiding the financial hit the recommended treatments will have on their families and their futures. These are tradeoffs that we can eliminate with the right strategies in place.
By focusing on proactively maintaining our health, we can avoid most of the chronic conditions that plague 60 percent of our population and drive 90 percent of our $4T in healthcare expenditures nationwide.
Prevention is a primary focus of the federal research initiative Healthy People 2030, and I think all local leaders should take a note from that playbook in promoting strategies for affordable wellness in our local communities.
As I begin this next chapter of my career in public service, I’m keeping one lesson front and center. When each of us show up to serve as healthier and happier individuals, we’ll all be a stronger asset to our communities.
About Robert and Jim’s Work with Wellness
Bearing Advisors is a team of seasoned professionals with over 250 years of combined experience delivering solutions that empower local governments. Jim and Robert are advisors to the company’s Prevent+Protect program, which offers an innovative approach to making proactive wellness accessible and affordable.
About Robert Matheny and Jim Hunt
Robert Matheny is currently serving as the Mayor of the City of Bridgeport, WV. He comes to the position directly after two terms as Sheriff of Harrison County in West Virginia. Another career highlight includes serving as a Director on the Board of The National White Collar Crimes Center (NW3C). Read more about Robert’s career (PDF).
Jim Hunt is the mind and voice behind the Amazing Cities & Towns podcast, which features over 100 interviews with the brightest minds behind local government and the most interesting municipal efforts across the country. Jim served as the President of both the West Virginia Municipal League as well as the National League of Cities.
Read more about Jim’s career (PDF).
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