DeFelice, Shaffer vying for Belmont County Commission seat
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MARTINS FERRY - Belmont County Commission candidates Dominic DeFelice and Franklin Shaffer, are seeking to be the next person to serve on the commission, replacing outgoing commissioner Jerry Echemann.
DeFelice, a Republican, is the owner of DeFelice Brothers Pizza, which has stores throughout the Ohio Valley, while Shaffer, a Democrat, is the current Pultney Township Trustee.
Shaffer has been a township trustee for 20 years and is the current Belmont County Township Association president.
"I just thought since there was an open seat, I’d like to put my name on the ballot, take a step up, and see if I could help the county out," Shaffer said.
DeFelice has operated DeFelice Pizza Brothers for 44 years, spent 15 years on the Shadyside school board, and has been on the Belmont County Health Department board for the past three years.
Both candidates said that they are passionate about improving the county by working with elected officials to secure funding to make the infrastructure better.
"My goal is to bring economic development and reinforce infrastructure for Belmont County through working with the current commissioners, township trustees, villages, going around and meeting with all these folks," DeFelice said. "I've been to several township meetings, council meetings, and a lot of the issues that they have are all the same: water, roads, labor, money. So the plan is to work together, try to help get the money we need."
He added that he believes that there is money available to address and solve the current issues the county faces.
"I think we currently have some progress going on, and I hope to grow that further," DeFelice said.
Shaffer added that he has worked to address a plethora of road, bridge, water projects, sewer projects at the township level.
"Basically, I would like to be able to work to bring in funding to help the infrastructure in this county, which I think hurts us when we are trying to get economic development. I think that would help us out immensely to get the economic development that we need in this county, and that’s roads, bridges, water, sewer, and broadband," Shaffer said. "I’d like to help educate the villages, cities, and communities that may need some help and instruction to move forward because I feel that they don’t have the education to help them move that direction."
DeFelice said that now entering the home stretch of the election he is continuing to meet as many potential voters as possible.
"We’ve been out since January. We were out all through the primary, and we’re excited to meet more people. If there’s anybody out there that hasn’t met me and would like to reach out to us. They can reach out to us on my Facebook page. I’d be glad to meet with them," DeFelice said.
He added that he's met potential voters for coffee and at several events and locations that they would be interested in meeting him at.
Shaffer said that his main goal is to promote a better Belmont County and work toward economic development in the county.
Both candidates will be on the Nov. 3 ballot.