NEWCASTLE—James Michael Tooman will serve as Weston County’s next clerk after District Court Judge Matthew F.G. Castano appointed him to fill the vacancy left unfilled when county commissioners failed to agree on a replacement.
Following a public hearing on June 4 at the Weston County Courthouse, Castano issued an order appointing Tooman to the position until a successor is elected and takes office after the next general election.
The appointment concludes a weekslong process that began after commissioners deadlocked over who should fill the vacancy.
During a May 5 meeting, commissioners interviewed three candidates nominated by the Weston County Republican Party — Tooman, Patricia Baumann and Stanley Jasinski — but failed to appoint any of them. Motions to appoint Jazinski and Tooman died for lack of a second, while a motion to appoint Baumann failed on a 1-2 vote.
Because the board did not fill the position, the matter was referred to district court, where Castano scheduled a hearing to determine who should serve as temporary clerk.
“We don’t go looking for cases. This case came to me, and it’s my duty to decide it.”
District Court Judge Matthew F.G. Castano
Thursday’s hearing featured testimony from five individuals, including four candidates seeking the appointment: interim clerk Amber Green, Baumann, Tooman and Jasinski. Republican Party Chairwoman Kari Drost also testified because she filed a petition to the court regarding the appointment.
Before hearing from the candidates, Castano said the court’s responsibility was to resolve a dispute that local officials had been unable to settle themselves.
“We don’t go looking for cases,” Castano said. “This case came to me, and it’s my duty to decide it.”
The judge noted that state statutes provide limited guidance for how courts should evaluate competing candidates and said he intentionally kept the process open to all qualified applicants rather than limiting consideration to candidates selected by the Republican Party. According to Castano, the approach most closely aligned with state law allowing any qualified county elector to petition for the appointment.
During the hearing, each candidate was questioned about management experience, document retention, statutory compliance and preparations to assume the duties of county clerk.
Tooman highlighted his background as an election judge for 17 years and his career as a senior systems architect. He told the court that his experience managing complex systems, following regulatory requirements and working in government-related roles would help restore public confidence in the clerk’s office.
“Part of what we’ve seen happen in this county over the last several months, if not years, is a loss of confidence in the general public,” Tooman said during the hearing. “I think I can support changing that.”
Tooman also emphasized transparency, organization and adherence to statutes as priorities if appointed.
“I’m not interested in changing things,” he said. “I’m interested in making things more clear.”
Green, who has served in the clerk’s office for seven years and has acted as interim clerk since the vacancy occurred, told the court her experience with the office’s day-to-day operations made her the most qualified candidate. She pointed to her knowledge of election systems, records management and county procedures, while also describing changes she said had improved morale in the office during the past two months.
Drost argued that the court should respect the Republican Party’s nomination process and select one of the three candidates advanced by the county central committee. Baumann emphasized her leadership experience and commitment to transparency, while Jasinski highlighted his military, firefighting and election-related experience.
After hearing from all five candidates, Castano recessed the proceedings and indicated he would review the testimony and submitted petitions before issuing a decision.
Later that afternoon, the judge signed an order appointing Tooman to the position. The order states that the court reviewed the qualifications of all candidates and gave “due consideration to the presentations of the candidates” before making its decision.
Under the order, Tooman will serve as county clerk until voters elect a successor and that individual takes office on the first Monday in January following the election.
Tooman is expected to assume the duties of the office immediately.
