Voters will have six candidates to choose from for mayor and ten for council in the upcoming June election. Perspective candidates had until this past Saturday to make their intentions for office known.
Though they may have one less candidate, as Weston Mayor Jon Tucci announced Tuesday morning that he was pulling the paperwork for candidate Franz Anthoefer because he is a German citizen and not an American citizen.
“I don’t think it’s good for our community,” Tucci said.
Tucci said that he personally made the decision to pull Anthoefer’s paperwork by Executive Order.
Mayor Jon Tucci had said that he planned on contesting Anthoefer’s bid for mayor as early as last week.
Anthoefer ran for mayor in 1997 under the name of Louie Craig, Jr., and was deported the day before the election.
A call to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office before Mayor Tucci’s announcement that he had pulled Anthoefer’s paperwork yielded the following information.
According to Assistant Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Betty Ireland Ben Beakes, a candidate could appeal to either ballot commissioners or in the absence of ballot commissioners, the city clerk, who is in charge of election activities, to appeal to circuit court for the removal of another candidate.
Additionally, Beakes cited Article 4, Section 4 of the West Virginia state code, which states “no persons, except citizens entitled to vote, shall be appointed to any state, county or municipal office,” when contacted by The Weston Democrat regarding the matter.
Incumbent Mayor Jon J. Tucci announced his intentions to seek another term in office this past week and is on the ballot for the upcoming election.
Tucci has been serving as Weston’s mayor since 2000. Before that he served as a councilman.
“We have two big issues ahead of us here in Weston in the next few years,” Tucci said. “Annexation and TIF financing are two issues we have ahead.”
According to Tucci, annexation will increase the tax base for the city.
Goals of the past few years included new equipment for the Weston Police Department. Officers are benefitting from new cruisers, bullet proof vests and guns.
Part of his next mission, if reelected, is to refresh the equipment in the street department.
Franz Anthoefer, who may or may not see his name on the ballot, has been waging legal battle to be named the legal son of the late Louie Craig, who also served as mayor. Anthoefer has thrown his hat into the ring for the upcoming election.
Recently, Anthoefer said he loved Weston and wanted to serve the city as his father did as mayor.
Julia Spelsberg, who works in public relations, at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital, filed paperwork to seek the city’s top job.
Former City Manager John Williams is seeking the mayor’s office. He served as city manager after the city’s first manager, Kyle Totten, left the position.
Others seeking election to the office of mayor include Johnny J. Brown and Stephen Weaver.
Candidates seeking election to city council seats include the following:
Ward I
Glen Brown, Jr.; Michael DeBarr; Councilman Dick John; and James Oldaker
Ward II
Terry Cogar and Yonnie Southall
Ward III
Larry Batten and Roger L. Gaines
Ward IV
James R. Anderson and Derrick Snyder.
Council members Betty Brooks, Ella Clem and Charles Hathaway chose not to seek reelection to their respective seats.
According to Tucci, candidates have until February 12 to remove their names from the ballot.

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