Filing for the May municipal elections in Pinehurst and West Orange has ended. Both cities had three positions on the May 7 ballot. Pinehurst City Administrator Robbie Hood said with incumbent Alderman Mike Anderson withdrawing recently from the election there is no need for the election in Pinehurst. Hood indicated the city council will take action at its next meeting March 8 to cancel that election.
Anderson withdrew because he plans to spend more time travelling with his band of musicians and did not want to miss several city council meetings. That leaves incumbent John Zerko and Dan Barclay as the only two candidates for the two aldermen positions on the ballot. Mayor Pete Runnels is running unopposed for another term. Hood stated cancelling the election will save Pinehurst several thousand dollars since $4,000 was budgeted for the election and now most of that money will be savings to the tax payer.
One change will be necessary to get the council members sworn in according to Hood. The election would have been May 7 and the timing is such with Pinehurst holding just one city council meeting a month on the second Tuesday a called meeting of the council in May will be required to get the mayor and the two aldermen sworn in and seated in their positions.
West Orange City Secretary Theresa Van Meter said the election in West Orange also will be cancelled. Only the three incumbents Shirley Bonnin, Mike Shugart, and Dale Dardeau filed for the election. Van Meter added West Orange budgeted $4,000 for its election and most of that will be saved as well.
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