The village of South Point's mayoral election will be a three-way race this year with incumbent Bill Gaskin facing Fayette Township Trustee Terry Wise and citizen Chadd Hatfield.

Gaskin, 73, wants to finish the job he started more than 25 years ago.

"There's a lot to do in this town, and I want it done and done right," he said. "Our administration and council get along well, and I want to keep on doing what we're doing."

If elected to another term, one of Gaskin's key concerns is development of The Point industrial park, which the village has annexed. He hopes to work with the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation and the Huntington-Ironton Empowerment Zone to accomplish this.

Another key priority is getting more police officers on the streets. Village voters rejected a 3-mil levy in the November 2002 election which would have kept one full-time and two part-time police officers but raised their property taxes.

Gaskin said he as well as other village officials have tried to find other methods of funding but have not been successful.

"I've said this a hundred times - there is nothing available," he said.

The village has applied for a grant from the Ohio Natural Resources to build a municipal pool.

Gaskin is also proud of his record as mayor.

Village officials worked to not only number the houses, but they also donated the numbers to residents, he said. The flat rate for water, sewage and trash has remained the same, and the streets are in good shape, he said. He is also proud of instituting clean-up days in the spring and fall as well as brush pickups.

"We've cleaned the town up pretty good," he said. "I've heard people talk about how South Point is pretty clean compared to other municipalities across the state."

Hatfield, 23, is a newcomer to Lawrence County politics, and he is using it to his advantage during his campaign.

"I've campaigned since February. I've sent out 300 or more flyers, and I have kept the campaign positive," he said. "It has been my voice that has been heard, and I have spoken my position."

Hatfield has degrees in political communiciations and the arts and humanities and is the co-author of "Enter the Realm of Political Thoughts: Collective Writings" with Steve Payne. He is currently employed in the Bell South small business communications department.

The Point is an area that Hatfield said he would promote for development and would work with county Chamber of Commerce and state leaders to accomplish this.

Because residents of South Point do not want any type of negative element causing them bodily harm, Hatfield said he would not have handled the controversy with Biomass Energy LLC much differently that the local leaders who expressed concern about the company burning tobacco shipped in by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, he has said the problem could have been handled in a more diplomatic fashion with further negotiations and research.

Some of his other concerns are providing more recreational opportunities for citizens, particularly the younger ones, and funding for these types of activities, he said, can be obtained through taking the initiative to do research and lobbying at the state level.

"We have a center that will become a village hall," he said in early October. "This will be a place where people can come and debate and discuss issues with me."

This center will provide activities such as crafts, lifting weights and martial arts. He also wants to see a new swimming pool to replace the one that closed a few years ago. He would also like to provide tutoring for young people in the village, and he already does tutoring himself as a side job. Also, Hatfield said he would like to see a "Festival of the Village" different times in the year with live music, food and other entertainment.

To get citizens more involved, Hatfield said he wants to create the village's own newspaper called, "Your Point of View." In this newspaper, he will not only brief the citizens on various topics, but citizens will have the chance to express their opinions. One thing that will not change, he said, are utility rates in the village, Hatfield said.

Wise, a 54-year-old rural letter carrier for the South Point Post Office, said the village needs a change.

"For the past seven to eight years, nothing has been happening," he said. "We're staying in one position. It's time for a change. For about 18 years, I thought the current administration was doing a good job. Now, I really can't see if we have gotten anywhere or are going in a better direction than where we have been."

The Point industrial park is also a concern for Wise. The former South Point Ethanol property, he said, needs to be developed for jobs, especially considering

"There is so much acreage," Wise said. "It needs to be developed instead of sitting still."

Also, Wise said he wants to see more police on the streets. Currently, he said, shifts are uncovered by the village police departments because lack of funding.

"We need 24-hour police protection badly," he said.

Wise wants to see more recreational opportunities for residents, particularly the younger ones. Besides seeing a pool reopen in the village, he would like to see a recreation center built so younger people have something to do in the evenings.

Another way to increase recreational activities that could be more financially feasible is working with the local school district to keep gymnasiums and other facilities open later. Having a place to go indoors, he said, is especially needed during the winter months when it is too cold to use the park.

Utility rates in the village, he said, will remain the same if he is elected.