In the upcoming Marmet election, three candidates who vied for an unexpired mayor's term last year will face off again, this time for a full term.
Four candidates are running in the June 13 election: Jennings "Jay" Snodgrass, Robert "Bobby" Wells, Mayor David Fontalbert and James "Jim" Halstead Jr.
The town council last year chose Fontalbert to replace longtime former mayor Bill Pauley, who was removed from office by a three-judge panel because of ethics violations in the 2013 mayoral election.
Besides Fontalbert, Wells and Snodgrass had also thrown their hats in the ring to fill the unexpired term. Halstead said he also had initially asked to be considered but later withdrew his name he didn't think counsel would choose him.
Here are the candidates for mayor of Marmet:
Fontalbert, who in addition to being mayor works as a finance manager for Molina Medicaid Solutions in Charleston, served as town recorder from 2009 until 2013. He's lived in Marmet 50 out of his 52 years, he said.
Fontalbert said he wants to continue the work he's done so far in his time as mayor. He said he's focused on straightening out the city's finances and restructuring the city's police department.
Last year, longtime police department member and chief Freddie Maynor was terminated and replaced with Gary Purdue. Fontalbert said the change was made because of differing philosophies.
"My philosophy is to be proactive rather than reactive," Fontalbert said.
He said he's also expanded the town's police force from five full-time and one part-time officer to eight full-time and one part-time officer. If elected, Fontalbert said he wants to focus on attracting businesses to town to add to the town's tax base.
Fontalbert, 52, is married and has two daughters, he said.
Snodgrass is a graduate of East Bank High School, West Virginia Tech and Marshall University. Snodgrass, a real estate agent and a 28-year paramedic for the Charleston Fire Department, said he's worked for the public his whole life. He's also worked for the Marmet Volunteer Fire Department, he said.
If elected, Snodgrass said one of his goals is to be accessible to residents. He also wants to rid the town of dilapidated buildings. Snodgrass touted a good relationship with the Kanawha County Commission and with lawmakers at the Statehouse in Charleston.
He serves on the town's sanitary board. Snodgrass said he's helped to do several community service projects in the town, including renovations on the town's Christmas star, installing a flag pole and putting on 5k races to benefit the town.
Snodgrass, 52, is married and has two teenagers.
Wells, 62, served on town council 24 years.
"[There's] nobody in that town that's served as long as I have," Wells said.
Wells has lived in Marmet his whole life. He retired from Kroger, where he worked 43 years.
If he's elected, Wells said he wants the town to have an emergency shelter. He wants to assemble an economic development team to help build the town's tax base. He also wants the town to have some sort of annual event, like an arts and craft fair, that would bring people to the town.
Wells said he had run for mayor twice before.
"I have a lot of good plans for Marmet, but I can never put them in place," Wells said.
Halstead, 66, is the former streets commissioner for the town of Marmet. He retired from the job in 2013 after 21 years of service, he said. Halstead said as a retired person, he could serve the town full-time as mayor.
He said if he's elected, he wants to give 25 percent of his salary back to the town's recreation department.
"I'm for all the kids in Marmet," he said. "I'd like to get them doing things and off the street."
Halstead said he also wants to try to bring new businesses to town and address drug problems in the town.
Also on the ballot are the following candidates for town council: Johnny Walker; Bobby Thompson; Michael McGhee; Tammy "Halstead" Kersey, who served as interim mayor after Pauley's removal; Johnny M. Dickens; Jake Halstead; Bill Tardy; David Dunlap; B.J. Fontalbert; Patrick Buchko; Teresa Long; Jerry White; Steve Thomas; Wallace Clark; Debbie "Fontalbert" Skeens; Jason Mitchell and Fred Ellis.
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.