The town of Buffalo will elect a new mayor June 13.
Dave Melton, a political newcomer, is the only mayoral candidate listed on the town's ballot.
He said he made the decision to run for mayor to offer fresh leadership for the town he's called home since 2009.
Melton is a Poca native, but has lived in Buffalo full-time since.
If elected, Melton said he plans to make beautification his top priority - hoping to spur economic development in the town. "The town has all kinds of potential," he said. "There are places here that have not been attended to very well. There are junk cars sitting around. It just leaves a bad impression."
Melton is a Vietnam veteran and a retired accounting and finance professor at West Virginia University Institute of Technology.
He hopes to also use his government accounting expertise if elected to serve the town. He taught governmental accounting courses at WVU Tech for more than 20 years, and said many of his students went on to get jobs in state government after graduation.
"I'm an accountant. I actually helped install a software package for the town years ago," he said. "It was never used properly. I want to help bring the accounting and finances in town to the 21st century.
"That's a very common situation in most small towns."
If elected, Melton said he'd also like to work to offer more recreation options for children, young adults and seniors in town.
"A lot of that can be done can be done without that much expense," Melton said. "As I'm speaking my ideas, that's all those are. Those are my ideas. I don't think a mayor should really push their agenda. I think they should try to discover what the citizens wants are."
Melton has been posting his ideas and taking comments from the Buffalo community on his Facebook page Dave Melton for Mayor of Buffalo, WV.
The town will also elect five council members Tuesday. The eight candidates listed on the ballot are: Jenny Buck-Leighton, Joey Casto, Barbara Johns Reed, Billy J. Whittington, Barbara Pentz, Leah Higginbotham, Ronnie Harris and Alisa Scott.
The town will also elect a recorder during the election. Julie Martin is the only candidate listed in that race.
Chad Thaxton is also running for mayor as a write-in candidate.
Reach Carlee Lammers at Carlee.Lammers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @CarleeLammers on Twitter.