Extended filing ends with 57 seats unsought

The extended filing on 62 city and town offices, school, fire, cemetery and park and recreation boards added five candidates to the list of office seekers. The extended filing period was opened last week only for those positions which failed to attract a candidate in the week-long filing period the previous week.

After the initial week of filing, the elections office listed 62 positions which remained open for election after not attracting a candidate. That means 57 of the slots still lack candidates.

Debbie Hooper, elections supervisor for the county auditor’s office, explained state election rules call for present office holders to remain for the coming term if they have not been challenged in the filing period.

That procedure has been common in many of the small entity boards around the county.

The procedure does not apply to people who have been appointed to a current term. Under state rules, an appointment to office can only extend to the length of the term which was held by the departed office holder.

Appointees can continue in office if appointed to another term.

The five additional candidates filed during the first two days of the extended period. Filing closed Thursday at 5 p.m. without any additional candidates appearing at the elections office. All extended filings were required to be done at the office in Colfax.

Tuesday, May 21, filings included those of Steve Holberg, Colfax City Council position four; B. J. Johnson, Endicott council seat five, and Mary E. Leinweber, Garfield cemetery district one. Filing Wednesday, May 22, were Justin L. Gibbs, Albion council position 2, and Frank C. Watson, St. John council position four.

Whitman Hospital board member John Perry did not file for another six-year term. Perry earlier served terms on the board, departed for a few years, then accepted an appointment to a board seat vacated by Allen Kirkpatrick. He completed that term and then was elected to the six-year term which will end this year.

He said he plans to formally resign from the board at the December meeting.