1000 x 90

More New Faces Guaranteed: Boone Town Council Members Scherlen, Leigh Decide Not To Seek Re-Election

By Jesse Wood

July 10, 2013. Boone Town Council Members Jamie Leigh and Allan Scherlen have decided not to seek re-election.

The mayor’s post and three town council seats are up for election in November. Mayor Loretta Clawson has long announced that she is not running and has endorsed Boone Town Council Member Andy Ball for the jump to mayor.

Both Ball and Boone Town Council Member Rennie Brantz, who is seeking re-election on the council, filed their candidacy at the Watauga County Board of Elections’ office on July 5, the first day candidates could file for the upcoming election.

Also filing for town council seats last Friday were Frank ‘Quint’ David, a 27-year-old graduate of ASU who works at IONCON Engineering, and Jennifer Pena, a history teacher at Wilkes Community College. (See their prepared statements here.)

The last day to file for municipal elections across the state is Friday, July 19.

Speaking on Wednesday, Scherlen, who is a professor and librarian at ASU, sounded somewhat indecisive when confirming that he had decided to not seek another term on the Boone Town Council.

“Maybe there is still an option until the last day of filing. I could still go ahead and file,” Scherlen said, adding, though, that after “much consideration,” he has decided not to file.  

“I’ve got a lot of things going on in my life and lot of projects that I’m working on here,” Scherlen said, referring to his family and work. “The Town Council is very demanding. It’s a second job and requires a lot of outside work.”

He added that he’ll “be around” and, who knows, “I may come back after a while.”

In a brief email, Boone Town Council Member Jamie Leigh wrote: “The rumors are true that I decided not to run for re-election!”