Thomas

WELLSBURG — A Wellsburg attorney has declared his candidacy for Brooke County commissioner.

A.J. Thomas said, “My goal is to help this county and the people who live here. I want to attract new businesses and protect existing industries. I want to make Brooke County an even better place to live.”

A 2007 graduate of Brooke High School, Thomas went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University in 2011 and a law degree from the university in 2014.

“I am an attorney at a small firm in Wellsburg, where I primarily serve clients who need help with estate planning and elder law,” he said.

Thomas added as a fiduciary commissioner in Brooke County, he has overseen the administration of estates and helped to resolve estate disputes. He also has volunteered his time as a judge for the county’s teen court program.

Begun in 2016, the court allows juvenile offenders who have pleaded guilty or no contest to a misdemeanor to appear before a jury of teen peers who decide their punishment as permitted by state law.

Thomas said, “Brooke County is where my wife, Kelley Stevens Thomas and I were raised. We were both afforded rare opportunities to return to our respective hometowns to do what we love. Our area is in a tremendous position to capitalize on economic growth that is occurring throughout the Ohio Valley, and I want to make sure that Brooke County doesn’t miss a single opportunity.

“As the next county commissioner, I promise to do everything I can to ensure that local families have the opportunity to stay here and start a career, just as Kelley and I have been lucky enough to be able to do.”