WEIRTON — Four candidates are facing off for a chance to represent Ward 6 on Weirton Council.

Incumbent Councilmember Enzo Fracasso is seeking his third term representing the area, but is facing challenges from residents Anthony P. Rocchio, Bob Wyatt and W. Fritz Frohnapfel.

The Weirton Daily Times received no response from Wyatt to the newspaper’s candidate questionnaire.

Fracasso is a retired steelworker, with more than 45 years, having also served in various positions within the union, including steward, vice chairman, and on the union executive committee and wage incentive committee. He has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 50 years, and within the city serves as chairman of the Finance Committee, and is a member of the Parks and Recreation Board and the Weirton Hall of Fame Committee.

“When I decided to run for public office back in 2015, I wanted to try and be a part of bringing this city to the vibrant city that I remembered in my youth,” Fracasso said.

Working for the last nine years with this administration, we are starting to achieve that goal. We have seen major growth the last few years with companies such as Bidell Gas compression, Pietro Fiorentini, Groupo Fanti, and Form Energy making Weirton their home. We’ve seen great progress in the Three Springs Drive area, with Three Springs Crossing complex, Wash Rite car wash, and the Park Drive Extension project. Plus, this council took the initiative to undertake the biggest utility project in the city’s history, with the water and sewer expansion project which will double our capacity and be able to supply buisnesses in the future.”

If re-elected, Fracasso said he wants to continue a focus on addressing dilapidated properties and other home violations throughout the city, working with the city’s code officials to make certain they have the tools to do their jobs; address speeding issues in neighborhoods with the idea of reducing speed limits from the current 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour, as well as increasing police patrols in all city neighborhoods; and working with Public Works to identify and repair as many streets as possible. He also wants to put a focus on the feral cat issue in the city, working with the counties and local organizations.

He said it is imperative for city and county governments to cooperate in meeting the needs of their residents.

“We are a close-knit community and we all need to work together when major problems arise, like we did with the announcement of the closing of the Market Street Bridge,” he said. “I would ask when situations arise to have town hall meetings so residents can voice their opinions or help come up with a solution; to have workshops and invite all local elected officials to participate and discuss solutions to major problems.”

In addition to his work and time on city council, Fracasso with part of Big Brothers in the 1970s and 1980s, has been a member of the St. Paul Men Holy Name Society, volunteered as an umpire in the 1970s with a women’s softball league, is a former member of the Hancock County Sheltered Workshop Board, and has volunteered at the Weirton Museum and Cultural Center and as a football coach with the Weirton Madonna Junior Dons and Madonna High School.

Frohnapfel is a current member of the Weirton Zoning Board of Appeals and has served on the Weirton Hall of Fame Committee. He has spent 15 years as an officer with the Brooke-Hancock Labor Council.

If elected, he said he wants to work on efforts to attract good-paying jobs to the community, and in Ward 6, his attention will be focused on addressing drainage issues on South 11th Street and ensuring garbage is properly stored in cans with lids.

Frohnapfel notes the benefits of cooperation, not only locally, but at the state level.

“I deal with people in Charleston on a weekly basis,” he said. “We’ll need their support to move Weirton forward.”

He also called for the city to be more “business friendly,” but credits the cty’s Planning Department for much of the work done in recent years.

Rocchio has been in retail management for 40 years, including as a grocery manager at Shop N Save, is a Weirton native, and the son of Antoinetta and Frank Rocchio. He has been married for 29 years to his wife, Alyssa.

“I feel I work well with people due to my experience working in store management for 40 years. I would be a great asset to the city of Weirton if I am elected as councilman,” Rocchio said. “I will work to be a voice for the people, not only in Ward 6, but for the city of Weirton. I want to make your concerns, my concerns and work for you.”

If elected, he said he wants to focus on issues of dogs running loose in the Ward 6 neighborhoods, especially the Terrace Heights area, and attacking people and other pets, working to enforce leash laws. He also wants to address street paving, and making certain properties are kept up to code through discussions with the property owners and then turning it over to the city’s Inspections Department if issues are not addressed.

Rocchio said he feels local governments already do a good job at communicating, and should continue to do so.

“I feel that they should communicate and cooperate with one another for the betterment of the city of Weirton,” he said. “I feel they do a good job of this already, and should continue to do so.”

He points to a need to make the city more desireable to encourage families to relocate to the area, as well as offer incentives to support existing businesses and draw new businesses to the city, and promote a mixture of housing availability to cater to diverse needs.

“We also need to enhance public spaces and parks to attract families,” he said. “We need to get rid of the vacant properties and make use of the buildings for other beneficial purposes.”

Rocchio volunteers at Sacred Heart of Mary Church, helping with the Polish Picnic each summer.

Saturday is the final day of early voting in West Virginia, with elections offices at the respective county courthouses open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Tuesday, Ward 6 voters located in Hancock County’s Precinct 20 will vote at the Weir Middle School gym, while Precinct 22 voting will be done at Weir High School.