County announces late filing period for open seats

Sixty-three positions on public boards and councils throughout Whitman County are up for a special second-chance filing period which runs next Monday, Aug. 29, through Wed., Aug. 31.

The filing period is only for positions up for a vote this fall that don’t currently have a candidate.

The open positions are seats in which no incumbent filed for a new term, nor any challenger declared for the position during the regular filing period.

If no candidate files for the seats, the incumbents will remain in the position, and the offices will not appear on the November ballot. By not having such elections, towns and districts do not have to pay the associated elections costs.

One of the candidate-less towns is Albion, where the mayor’s seat and four of five posts on the town council failed to attract candidates.

Councilmember Robert Kerben said ballot costs were not a factor in the failure for candidates to appear.

“I guess we all figured someone else might want it,” said Kerben. “But I guess now they’re stuck with us for another couple of years.”

Candidates interested in the open seats need to file with the Whitman County Auditors office in Colfax.

Below is a complete listing of the vacancies in Whitman County:

Albion: Mayor, Town Council 1, 2, 4, 5

Colfax Cemetery Dist. 6, pos. 1, 2, 3

Colton School District: pos. 4

Endicott: Town Council 1; Cemetery Dist. 4, pos 1, 2, 3

Farmington: Town Council 3; Cemetery Dist. 8, pos. 1

Garfield: Cemetery Dist. 2, pos. 1, 2, 3; Park and Rec. Dist. 2, pos. 1, 2, 5

LaCrosse: Fire Dist. 8, pos. 3; Park and Rec. Dist. 1, pos 5

Lamont: Town Council 2; School Dist. 264, pos. 2 at large, pos. 3 at large, pos. 4 at large

Oakesdale: School Dist. 324, pos. 4; Fire Dist. 10 Commissioner 1 and Park and Recreation Dist. 4 pos. 4

Palouse: School Dist. 301, pos. 5 at large; Fire Dist. 4, pos. 2, 3

Rosalia: Fire Dist. 7, pos. 3; Park and Rec. Dist. 5, pos, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Steptoe: Sewer Dist. 1, pos. 1, 2, 3

St. John: Town Council 2; Cemetery Dist. 3,, pos. 2 Fire Dist. 2, pos. 2; Park and Rec. Dist. 3, pos. 3

Tekoa: City Council 2; School Dist. 265, pos. 1; Fire Dist. 1, pos. 1, 2, 3; Park and Rec. Dist. 6, pos. 3

Thornton: Cemetery Dist. 1, 2, 3

Uniontown: Town Council pos. 2, 3

Wilcox/Onecho/Dusty Fire Dist. 13: pos. 3

Winona: Cemetery Dist. 7, pos. 2, 3