PROCTORVILLE — Two veteran village administrators, a former councilman and a political newcomer have filed to run for mayor of Proctorville.

They are seeking the seat held by Mayor Charles Stapleton, who will not run for a second term because of illness.

Pam Legg has been the village administrative assistant for the past 18 years and wants to take the experience she has gained from her job and put it to work as Proctorville’s chief executive.

“I have worked for four very different mayors, four very different governing styles,” Legg said. “Over the years I have thought I would do (that) better or it could be done this way.”

This is the first time Legg considered running for mayor because it is the first time she would not be running against her boss.

“I am very loyal to the person I’m working for,” she said. “This the first year in 18 years my boss is not seeking re-election.”

Legg, who is also a paralegal, would like to continue a number of programs already initiated by past administrations along with instituting her own agenda.

“I would like to continue the productive things we are doing, the updates on our water plant, improving our streets, keeping our town clean,” she said. “They are working, tweak them a little bit.”

New programs would include updating the equipment for the village police department and cracking down on those who don’t pay their fines from mayor’s court.

“We need to start enforcing our payment policy,” Legg said. “We need to start picking up who we issue warrants for, who owe outstanding money.”

Richard Dunfee has worked as the village administrator for the past 14 years.

“I see what has been done and what could be done,” Dunfee said. “I would like to see the infrastructure worked on. We need new water lines.”

Dunfee would like the village to reach out for grant money to finance such improvements.

“We used to get local money from the county commission, CDBG money,” he said. “That is all dried up and it seems to have gone to the lower part of the county. (I would like) to work with the commission to try to get a little bit of money this way for the replacement of the water lines.”

Bill Elliott, a supervisor with the Lawrence County EMS, served on the village council for 12 years before stepping down about four years ago. The recent graduate of Ohio University’s nursing program also would like to bring more grant money into the village.

“(In the past) every chance we had for grant money, we jumped on it,” Elliott said. “I have a good working relationship with the commission and would like to build a new relationship with the CAO. … and work with the clerk-treasurer and council to stay within out budget, to continue to have police protection and maintain all city ordinances.”

This is the first time for Brian Root, a field inspector for Terminex, to get involved with village government.

“There are a lot of things I would like to see done in the village,” Root said. “I just felt like it was time for me to do my duty. A lot of things I have a vision for, I would like to see changed.”

Among the goals Root has for the village are moving police patrols from the main thoroughfare to back streets.

“A lot of people, they are almost afraid to go through town for fear of getting a speeding ticket or some kind of ticket,” he said. “I would like to ease back on that and patrol more on the back streets where people are running stop signs.”

He would also like to give senior citizens a discount on their water bills and start an open house at city hall where villagers could voice their concerns to the mayor.

“The more important thing is to be aggressive on grants available for the village for lighting, security and safety,” he said.

A potential fifth mayoral candidate is William E. McClurg II who picked up a petition but has not filed. A phone call made to a number provided by the board of elections was not returned by press time.