Frank Cerasa says he's got to take a pause and think about whether he wants to pursue legal action against the Town of Amherstburg after it revoked his candidacy in this fall's election for mayor.
Cerasa said he thought he had the required 25 signatures when he filed his nomination papers three and a half months ago.
Two and a half hours after the nomination deadline had passed, he said he got a call from the town's clerk informing him that he actually had 24.
"An elderly couple, long-time residents, she filed her form and signed her name. No problem there," said Cerasa. "She filed her husband's form. Unintentionally, she signed her signature on his form. That's what the discrepancy is."
He said if he pursues legal action, the motion might take three or four months to move forward, putting a possible resolution past Election Day.
While he's disappointed, Cerasa said he needs to think about the impact a lawsuit could have on the town's residents.
"This is my community. I've been here a long time. You know, I love the people in this town," he said. "I don't know if I want to do that to them because a lot of them are family. I've got a lot of good friends."
He hopes to make a decision by the end of the week.
With the loss of Diageo and a drop in building permits, Cerasa said it's a shame because he felt he had the skills to help bring back industrialization to Amherstburg.
Three candidates are currently running for mayor in Amherstburg: Bill Fryer, current deputy mayor Chris Gibb, and mayoral incumbent Michael Prue.
Election Day is October 26.
