Clayton Jones (Weddington Town Council District 3, North Carolina, candidate 2025)

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Clayton Jones

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Weddington Town Council District 3

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

South Mecklenburg High School

Bachelor's

Appalachian State University, 1982

Other

The George Washington University, 1997

Law

North Carolina Central University, 1985

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1985 - 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Gastonia, NC

Religion

Methodist

Profession

Attorney

Clayton Jones ran for election to the Weddington Town Council District 3 in North Carolina. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Jones completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Clayton Jones provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on August 24, 2025:

• Birth date: February 2, 1953
• Birth place: Gastonia, North Carolina
• High school: South Mecklenburg High School
• Bachelor's: Appalachian State University, 1982
• J.D.: North Carolina Central University, 1985
• Other: The George Washington University, 1997
• Military service: United States Navy, 1985-2020
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Methodist
• Profession: Attorney
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: The Weddington Wall

Elections

General election

General election for Weddington Town Council District 3

Clayton Jones ran in the general election for Weddington Town Council District 3 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Clayton Jones (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

To view Jones's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Jones in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Clayton Jones completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jones' responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I've lived in Weddington for 27 years. I am a retired Naval Officer and a retired Assistant District Attorney. My law license is still active but I am currently not practicing law. I became involved in Weddington issues when the Weddington Green development was proposed. This development was commercial, high density and multifamily housing; everything that Weddington is not. To the extent that it is possible, I want to Preserve the Weddington I have become to love.

I hope to live in my home for at least another 10 years or so; as long as my wife and I are physically able. We are blessed with a little over 1 acre, a well, septic, and no HOA. I have lived a number of places in my life as the military moved me and my family around. Each of those places had some endearing qualities but none compared to Weddington. I cannot think of any town in Union or Mecklenburg Counties that compares to Weddington.

My wife and I used to enjoy going to Waxhaw to one of their unique restaurants on Main Street, next to the train track. The parking and congestion in Waxhaw is so bad now that we will only go there if we absolutely have too. Waxhaw has a number of great qualities. Its just that at this point in my life I'm enjoying a slow and relaxing life style. I would hate to see Weddington heading down a path to becoming another Waxhaw.

If you have a similar take on this lifestyle, please consider voting of me, Jim Bell for Mayor and Ellen McLaughlin for Town Council.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I want to limit Commercial growth to the current Commercial District Overlay. I am not in favor of expanding the Commercial District Overlay. There is no shortage of restaurants, grocery stores, and retail establishments in nearby communities. Weddington is not now, nor will it ever will be, a "walk about town." Geographically, Weddington is widely spread-out over a large area, and because of our one acre rule and neighborhoods that are not connected by sidewalks or walking trails, you are going to have to drive to your destination out of necessity. To me the additional taxes gained from commercial businesses do not out weigh the adverse impact of these businesses.
• Residential development should, whenever possible, be limited to the one acre rule. I love my neighbors and my neighborhood. Like I said before, I've lived a lot of places in my life and yet nothing comes close to where I live now. Now that the weather is pretty nice in the morning I enjoy sitting on my deck in the morning with my wife, have a couple of cups of coffee, and enjoy the wildlife.

• Nobody likes to pay taxes, I certainly don't. However, with our representative form of government taxes are a necessary evil since Weddington cannot legally print money. What we have a right to expect is that there is no fraud, waste, or abuse of our tax dollars.

  Mayor Jim Bell has posted a lot on social media lately about the false narrative regarding taxes that has been advanced by his competitor. You only need to look at the video of the Town Council meeting when the FY 2025/2026 budget and tax-rate was adopted by the Town Council to verify this false narrative.

  Mayor Bell's competitor lays the blame for Weddington's taxes at the feet of Mayor Bell. The Budget/Tax rate was approved by the Town Council, not by Mayor Bell.

  Mayor Jim Bell has posted a lot on social media lately about the false narrative regarding taxes that has been advanced by his competitor. You only need to look at the video of the Town Council meeting when the FY 2025/2026 budget and tax-rate was adopted by the Town Council to verify this false narrative.

  Mayor Bell's competitor lays the blame for Weddington's taxes at the feet of Mayor Bell. The Budget/Tax rate was approved by the Town Council, not by Mayor Bell.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

If you are running for office, you are, by definition, a "politician." As much as I dislike the label I guess I'm a politician too. You know the old saying, how do you know a politician is lying? His lips are moving. Very sad but unfortunately it rings true in many situations. I have nothing to gain personally by being a Town Councilman. Seems lately, just running for office is take up a lot of my free time. But please believe this, I have spent most of my adult life in pubic service, either in the military or as an assistant district attorney, I want to continue that public service for the betterment of our community. I do not need to pad may resume or take a step towards running for a higher office.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Most folks never go to Raleigh or DC to see their government in action. In our local Weddington government you have a chance to see it up close. You can come to the Town Council meetings, you can sign up to personally address the Mayor and Town Council members and tell them how you feel about an issue. If you call, email, or write them a letter, 99% of the time you will get a response. You need to know that the folks in Raleigh are looking to take that away from you, either in Senate Bill 205 or their campaign against something they call "Paper Towns."

Senate Bill 205 will take zoning away from our Town Government. The Bill is mostly sponsored, as you might expect, by developers. I expect to see development in Weddington gone WILD if Senate Bill 205 become law.

What is a Paper Town? The folks in Raleigh believe a Paper Town is a town in name only. It serves no function other than to keep an area from being consumed by a larger community. It provides no services to the community and basically has no sole. If they get their way the charters for the Paper Towns will be revoked and the town will be fair game for the county and other towns to do what they will.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Sounds hokey but I try my best to be like my parents. They made me the person I am today. I was raised in a middle class family in south Charlotte, my father worked and my mother took care of us at home. It was normal at the time, in my opinion they were the "best generation." They both attended college but neither graduated. Nonetheless, they knew the value of an education and made sure that my brother, sister, and I had the opportunity of a higher education. My brother and sister graduated from Clemson. I was the black sheep of the family and graduated from ASU.

They taught us right from wrong, gave us a foundation of moral principles, and stood behind and supported us.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty! As an attorney I usually know what people want to hear. But, in order to help them I tell them what they need to know. It seems that when voting on issues or pending legislation elected officials tend to do the math before they take a stand. What do I mean? An elected official begins campaigning for the next election as soon as they are elected. So when an issue, or legislation, is coming up for a vote, the elected official calculates how many votes will I gain or lose in the next election depending on how I vote? It doesn't seem to be about the merits of the issue or legislation, its what is in it for me.

I have no plans past this term of office. I hope I do the right thing for the right reasons. I know now that I will not be able to make everybody happy. I pledge that I will use logic, reason, and weigh the needs and desires of our community to make the best decisions.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Simple, be fair. Fairness is a core value for me. My platform is clear and unambiguous. But fairness requires that I not prejudge any issue that comes before the Town Council. I have to look at the evidence, determine what I believe to be credible evidence, apply it to the controlling law and/or ordinance, and make a fair and just decision.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To have been a good husband and father.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The President John F. Kennedy assassination. I was in the 5th grade, around nine years old, and was either going to or from the playground when I heard the news.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a stable boy mucking out stalls at Meadow Brook Stables when it was located at Hwy 16 and Hwy 51. I think I did it for a couple or years. At the time I had a horse that was boarded there and I also took English Riding lessons there as well. I have never minded doing dirty jobs. What I took away from that is that I would never ask a subordinate to do a job that either I had not done, or would not do.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I hate to admit this but I don't do a lot of recreational reading.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Huck Finn

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I struggled in school. My teachers and parents were perplexed. If it was a course I was interested in, or I liked and connected with the teacher, I would get an A. If not, well, lets just say not so good.

So how is it I have an undergraduate BS degree with Honors from App State, a JD with Honors from NC Central, and an LLM from The George Washington University? I had a wife and a young child I had to support. I knew that minimum wage was never going to work. I knew that I had to focus and I knew that failure was not an option; my family depended on me.

I sequestered myself in the most remote corner of the library; I read and reread as many times as necessary until I had it committed to memory. In law school I did the same thing. There were too many distractions at home. At night and weekends you would find me in my cubical in the library doing the same routine. Read, reread and commit to memory.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

When hearing pitches from folks wishing to be your Mayor, know this, ordinarily the Mayor has no vote on issues that come before the Town Council. The only exception is when the Town Council's vote is a tie. In that case, and only in that case, the Mayor steps in to break the tie. Much like the US Vice President if there is a tie in the US Senate.

I will not say this situation is rare, but I have only witnessed it twice. The first was when then Mayor Craig Horn cast the deciding vote on Weddington Green. The second is when Mayor Bell Cast the deciding vote on Deal Lake.

So, if you don't like the direction that Weddington is headed, don't blame the Mayor, blame it on your Town Council. If elected, this will be me. I don't enjoy the heat but I think I can take it.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I don't think it is always necessary to have previous experience in government or politics but in come instances, continuity can be beneficial. Did you know that the Mayor has to stand for re-election every two years. What kind of continuity is there if you elect a different mayor every two years? Did you know that at any given Town Council meeting it is not unusual to have at least three former mayors present?

On the other hand, Town Council members are elected for four year terms. The terms are staggered so that we elect two council members every two years. A four year term allows for Town Council members to get up to speed and there will always be some corporate memory.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Logic and reason are necessary. I don't discount passion but sometimes a passionate belief may lead you astray. Be willing and open to consider the opinions of others and the community.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

As a Town Council member you are helping to steer the course for Weddington. Nothing of any significance happens in Weddington without the approval of a majority of Town Council members. NOTHING! It has to be a vote of at least three out of four Town Council members in order to happen. The mayor has an important role but ordinarily his hands are not on the helm. Forgive me, I like using nautical terms when I can, the helm is the ship's steering wheel.

Budgets don't get passed, taxes don't get raised or lowered, additional employees don't get hired, Sheriffs Deputies don't get added, parks don't get built, and tax dollars don't get spent without Town Council approval.

So if a candidate for mayor tells you all the things he will do or change if elected mayor, ask him how he is going to do it without a vote?

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Preserve Weddington and Stewards of Weddington

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

I met a mother and father whose young daughter was tragically killed while riding in an off road vehicle. They wanted "justice." They wanted someone held accountable. This happened in a political jurisdiction different from where I worked. They never found the justice they needed.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Believe if or not, I am most proud of my graduation from App State. I cannot tell you how I felt when I looked at my mother's face. I could see the pride in her eyes. She believed in me when some of my teachers told her not to expect too much.

She knew they were wrong and continued to have faith in me. You never want to disappoint your mother; I'm just sorry it took so long.

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