A former Ironton mayor is hoping to be elected to the post again.

Ironton City Councilman Bob Cleary has picked up a petition to run for mayor.

Besides his time as a councilman, Cleary has previously served as mayor for six years and as vice mayor for eight years.

The budget is one area that Cleary hopes to address if he is elected mayor.

“I have a lot of issues with the current budget and the amount of spending we’ve been doing,” Cleary said, adding that he has had issues with it for the past several years.

When former mayor John Elam left office, Cleary said, the city had more than a $1 million carryover that has gradually been depleted.

Cleary is concerned, too, that the biggest source of revenue for the city, its income tax, has remained the same year after year and yet spending increases, he said.

“(With) the experience I have and the time with the city, I could produce a budget that would start going the other way,” Cleary said. “You can’t continue to spend. The other communities around us realized this a few years ago that they need to look at the future and we’re looking at it day to day basically.”

Job creation, too, is something he hopes to focus on if elected. The city’s industrial park has the potential and space for more jobs, he said.

“There has been job creation and that’s wonderful anytime any business moves in, but we’ve have also had job losses that offset the job gain,” Cleary said. “Our income tax shows that there’s not a lot of growth in the job market.”

The city councilman said the city’s enterprise funds also need reviewed. The city’s water rate went up beginning in January.

“It just keeps going up and I think there are ways that expenses could be could be cut on the water bill,” Cleary said.

He added that the city used to be a community where people wanted to live because its utility fees were reasonable. Over time, though, those fees have increased, he said.

“I think we’re pushing away homeowners and developers with the fees,” he said.

“I’ll be looking at all these items plus a lot more. This is the tip of the iceberg for what I hope to do and plan.”

Cleary is one of three potential candidates who have picked up petitions for the positions. Besides Cleary, incumbent Mayor Rich Blankenship and Councilwoman Beth Rist have also picked up petitions.

In the Ironton City Council race, Detective Aaron Bollinger of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office has picked up a petition. Three council seats will be up for grabs this year. Councilmen Frank Murphy, Chuck O’Leary and Kevin Waldo all have terms that will expire this year.

The following people have also picked up petitions for the general election of Nov. 8:

TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES and FISCAL OFFICERS

• Gina Sanders for Aid Township fiscal officer

• Gerold Herrell for Aid Township trustee

• Edmond E. Allbright for Decatur Township fiscal officer

• Carrie Yaniko for Elizabeth Township fiscal officer

• Bob Robinson for Hamilton Township trustee

• Kenny Mannon, Don Mannon (filed) and Joe Ferguson for Lawrence Township trustee and Lori Morris for Lawrence Township fiscal officer

• Paul Hayes for Mason Township trustee

• Douglas M. Malone (filed) and Brent McKee for Perry Township trustee and George Rowe for Perry Township fiscal officer

• Charles Fuller, Thomas Belville (filed) and Clyde Maxwell Hoover for Rome Township trustees and Cheryl Jenkins and Bob Mayo for Rome Township fiscal officer

• Cecil Mays and Ermal Adkins for Symmes Township trustees and Patty Belville for Symmes Township fiscal officer

• Terry Porter for Union Township trustee and Shelley Pinkerman for Union Township fiscal officer

• Craig Thomas (filed) and Alex Hackney for Upper Township trustee and Tyler Walters for Upper Township fiscal officer

• Mark Johnson and Donald Rigney for Windsor Township trustee and Donald Adkins and Timmy Hayes for Windsor Township fiscal officer.

CITY and VILLAGES

• Melodie Brumfield for Athalia Village council

• Dick Gilpin for Chesapeake Mayor

• Kenny Wolfe for Chesapeake Village Council

• Peggy Houston for Chesapeake clerk/treasurer

• Frederick Phillip Roush for Coal Grove Mayor

• Jenni Carey for Coal Grove Village council

• Diana Wise and Deborah Fields for Coal Grove clerk/treasurer

• Bill Elliott (filed), Brian Root (filed), Richard Dunfee, Pamela Legg and Lee Whitley for Proctorville Mayor

• Gary Whitley, Jerry Thompson and Dale Burcham for Proctorville Village Council

• Darrell Legg for Proctorville clerk/treasurer

• Ronald West and Jim Payne for South Point Mayor

• Buel Collins, Marlene Arthur, Chris Smith, Jim Payne and Jeff Gaskin for South Point Village Council

SCHOOL BOARDS

• Doug Marcum for Chesapeake

• Jason Gorby for Fairland

• Dennis Hankins for Rock Hill

• Donald Adkins for Symmes Valley

JUDGES

• Clark Collins for Ironton Municipal Judge (filed)

• Donald Capper for Lawrence County Municipal Judge (filed)