RECORD STAFF
Only the South Whidbey School District on Whidbey Island will be holding a primary election in August, while the many other local offices open will wait for November to appear on the ballot.
Some positions attracted no interest, necessitating a special filing period next month.
Here are the final filings made during the regular filing period with the Island County Auditor’s Office.
Port of South Whidbey Commissioner: Curt Gordon and Ed Jenkins filed for position 3.
In the City of Langley, all candidates are guaranteed a job barring a write-in campaign in November. Fred McCarty filed for mayor; Rene Neff filed for position 1; Margot James filed for position 2; and Thomas Gill filed for position 5.
South Whidbey School District: Fred O’Neal filed for position 2; Miriam Coates, Betty Bond and Rocco Gianni filed for position 5, necessitating a primary election on Aug. 6.
South Whidbey Fire/EMS: Kenon Simmons filed for position 2.
South Whidbey Parks and Recreation: Mark Helpenstell filed for position 2; Captn Blynd and Bob Hezel, Jr., filed for position 3; Matt Simms filed for position 5.
Clinton Water District: Roy Simmons filed for position 1.
Holmes Harbor Water District: Tom White filed for position 3; Jens Rivera filed for position 4.
Freeland Water and Sewer District: Marilyn Abrahamson filed for position 1.
Lagoon Point Water District: Robert VonDrachek and Ken Peterson filed for position 2; Robert Rogers and Bob Vierra filed for position 4.
Saratoga Water District: Clancy Overturf filed for position 3.
Scatchet Head Water District: E.C. “Duffy” Schoeler and David White filed for position 2.
Main Street Sewer (Freeland): Ken Fisk filed for position 1; Mary Margaret Stern filed for position 2; C. Mark Brown filed for position 3.
The conclusion of filing week May 17 saw nobody filing for candidacy for 14 offices throughout Whidbey Island.
Because of those empty seats, the Island County Auditor’s Office is opening a special filing period for three days. The special filing period goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, June 3 through Wednesday, June 5.
Of the 14 offices that lack candidate, one is the Coupeville School Board Position 2 seat that is apparently being vacated by Jeff Tasoff. He didn’t file for re-election last week.
Another vacancy is the Position 4 seat on the Whidbey General Hospital Board that is being vacated by Roger Case, who announced he will resign from his seat effective June 15.
The remaining dozen empty seats are on the various water district boards located throughout Island County.
Michele Reagan, deputy for the Island County Auditor’s Office, said people can only file for the 14 vacant positions and not the other seats that are up for election in 2013.
While the auditor’s office offered an online option during the regular filing period, people interested in the vacant seats will have to file in person at the elections office located on North Main Street, Coupeville.
If nobody files for the empty seats by the end of the special filing period, then they won’t appear on the November ballot. Nobody would be able to write in a candidate’s name for those empty seats either, Reagan said. It would then be up to the elected board to appoint a replacement, who would then serve until the next general election.
