PICKAWAY COUNTY, Ohio — The Guardian has unearthed startling revelations that have cast a shadow over the mayoral aspirations of Jason West, who filed his petition to run for mayor of Commercial Point, a village of 3,100 residents. West is now under intense scrutiny, as evidence emerges suggesting that he may have broken Ohio state law by failing to meet the one-year residency requirement for mayoral candidates. Additionally, he faces the possibility of felony charges for allegedly falsifying his candidacy petition.
West, whose candidacy for mayor was formally launched on August 9, stated his residence as 178 Rosewood Loop SE in the village when he filed his petition. However, this declaration has been challenged by a concerned citizen, as well as the current mayor of the town, who maintain that West does not fulfill the mandated 12-month residency condition stipulated by Ohio law to run for the position of village mayor.
The challenge is known as a “candidacy protest” and was officially filed with the Pickaway County Board of Elections. According to Matthew Nicklas, the director of the Board, “Under ORC 3513.263, the members of the board of elections will hold a scheduled hearing where both the protester and the candidate will be given an opportunity to address the issues raised in the protest. The board will then determine the merit of the protest and the validity of the petition. Such determination is final.” That hearing will be held on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
The Guardian has launched an independent investigation into the claims. The investigation has revealed additional concerning information. Documents indicate that West resigned from the village council as a council member in July 2022, citing plans to live full-time in Arizona and Washington for the subsequent 18-24 months.The Guardian obtained water bill records through an Ohio loophole that allows journalists to request utility information of customers from a municipality. The water bill records show that West rented his house in the village to a local fireman and that utilities were in the firefighter’s name until West moved back in June of this year.
Further raising questions about his eligibility to run for mayor, West’s voter registration history shows no local participation in the 2022 election in Pickaway County. In fact, the Guardian obtained voter registration paperwork from Pima County, Arizona, that shows West resided in Tucson last year and registered to vote there, ultimately participating in the November 2022 election as a registered Republican and casting a ballot in that state. The obtained voter registration card matches West’s birthdate and social security number, which are matters of public record. Notably, his voter registration remains active in Arizona while he is also registered to vote and running for office in Ohio.
With the Ohio state requirement mandating one year of residency to contest for the role of village mayor, West may be ineligible to run for Commercial Point Mayor. Also, he faces the grave prospect of felony charges for allegedly falsifying his candidacy petition.
The Pickaway County Board of Elections is set to convene on Tuesday afternoon to evaluate the evidence presented against West and make a determination regarding his eligibility to remain on the mayoral ballot. The outcome of this hearing will significantly impact the future of Commercial Point’s mayoral race, casting a cloud of uncertainty over West’s candidacy.
