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Municipal filing ends Friday with slots still open

POLK COUNTY—Municipal residents wanting to run for town and city councils in Polk County have until Friday to file. 

Filing opened last Friday and 6 people had filed by the beginning of this week, but nobody has filed since. All incumbents have filed in Tryon, but there are open slots in Columbus in Saluda. 

Columbus Mayor Patrick McCool has filed for re-election as well as Rebecca (Becky) Kennedy, a newcomer for town council. As of Friday morning, incumbent council members Mark Phillips, Richard Hall or Robert Williamson had not filed for re-election. 

In Saluda, commissioner Paul Marion is the only person to file so far. Marion is up for re-election, along with Mayor Fred Baisden and commissioner Mark Oxtoby. 

In Tryon, Mayor Alan Peoples and commissioners Bill Ingham and Bill Crowell have filed for re-election, but no challengers had filed as of Friday morning. 

Filing for the municipal election is open until Friday, July 16 at 12 p.m. Filing can be done at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus. 

In the Town of Columbus, the mayor seat is open for a 2-year term and 3 council seats available. 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 commissioner seats are available. 

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 open as well as 2 commissioner seats. 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. 

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

For more information about the municipal election this year or to see who has filed, visit polknc.org or call the elections office at 828-894-8181. The board of elections is updating the latest filings on the county’s website every day at 5 p.m.