Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Filing for 2021 municipal election begins July 2

POLK COUNTY—Anyone wanting to run for mayor or town and city commissioners can file beginning on July 2. 

The Polk County Board of Elections recently announced the filing dates for municipal candidates for the towns of Columbus and Tryon and City of Saluda. 

The filing can be done at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus. Filing is open from July 2 at 12 p.m. until July 16 at 12 p.m. 

In the Town of Columbus, there is the mayor seat open for a 2-year term and 3 council seats available. Current Mayor Pat McCool is up for re-election along with council members Mark Phillips, Richard Hall and Robert Williamson. The top vote getter for council will receive a 4-year term and the next 2 will receive 2-year terms. 

In the City of Saluda, the mayor seat and 2 commissioners seats are available. 

Current Saluda Mayor Fred Baisden is up for re-election along with the seats of commissioners Mark Oxtoby and Paul Marion. The mayor seat in Saluda is a 4-year term as well as the 2 commissioner seats. 

In the Town of Tryon, the mayor seat is also up for re-election as well as 2 commissioner seats. Current Tryon Mayor Alan Peoples is up for re-election as well as commissioners Bill Crowell and Bill Ingham. The mayor seat in Tryon is for 2 years, while the 2 commissioner seats are 4-year terms. 

The filing fee for the municipal seats in Polk County are $5 to be paid at the time of filing. Any candidate that raises or spends money or makes a public announcement that they intend to run must file campaign finance paperwork with the Polk County Board of Elections within 10 days of the announcement. 

Election Day for the municipal election is Nov. 2, 2021. 

For more information about the municipal election this year, visit polknc.org or call the elections office at 828-894-8181.