One Poplar Bluff City Council seat and a handful of school board seats are already seeing a contest.
Election filing opened Tuesday for municipal and school board races and continues until Dec. 28.
City Council
The terms of Ward 1 council member Lisa Parson and Ward 3 council member Barbara Ann Horton are expiring.
Both Parson and Horton filed today for re-election.
Also filing to run against Parson were Robert Duckett and David D. Williams of Ward 1, according to the city clerk’s office.
Filing for the offices will continue through Dec. 28, and is two weeks shorter this year. The filing period normally extends into January but was changed under the passage of House Bill 271.
Filing for the April 5 election will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 28.
Candidates for city council must be 21 or older, a citizen of the United States, a qualified voter, a city resident for one year, an inhabitant of the ward for which he or she seeks office for one year and, if elected, continue to be domiciled in that ward throughout his or her term on the council. No one who is in arrears for any tax lien, forfeiture or misappropriation of funds in office can be elected, according to state law.
Winners in wards 1 and 3 will be elected to three-year terms.
Persons wishing additional information about filing for the council may call the city clerk at 573-686-8620 during regular business hours.
The Poplar Bluff and Twin Rivers school districts, as well as Three Rivers College, have members whose terms will expire in April.
Poplar Bluff
The Poplar Bluff R-I race is already contested. The seats of general members Cynthia Brown and Roger Hanner are expiring and both are running for reelection.
The district will accept declarations of candidacy from any person interested in running for a position on the Board of Education in the April 5, 2022, election. Each position serves a three-year term.
Candidates must file in person with the Secretary of the Board of Education at the school administration office. Filing continues 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from today through Dec. 10 and Dec. 13-17, not counting days that school is canceled due to inclement weather or other reasons.
Filing will also not occur Dec. 20-26, when school district’s offices are closed for the holidays, or on weekends. Filings will be accepted on Dec. 27 during the hours of 8 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. The last day to file is Dec. 28, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Candidate names will be placed on the ballot in order of filing.
Twin Rivers
The Twin Rivers R-X board has two general members, Lee Wright and Bruce Goodrich, whose seats will be available. They are reportedly undecided about running again.
Qualified applicants may file during business hours at the Twin Rivers Central Office, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Dec. 7-19. Late filers will have from 4-5 p.m. Dec. 28 to file. The Twin Rivers offices are closed for the holidays Dec. 20 through Jan. 3. Filing will also not occur on days when school is closed due to inclement weather.
Candidates should call 573-328-4321 or email rsentell@tr10.us to inquire if the office is open.
TRC
An election year is also coming up for Three Rivers College board of trustees, and filing runs from 8 a.m. Dec. 7 to 5 p.m. Dec. 28.
One seat is contested, that of board chair Gary Featherston, who represents sub-district 4 in Wayne, Butler, Madison and Reynolds counties.
Treasurer Darren Garrison belongs to sub-district 3 in Ripley County and has not yet filed to run.
Prospective TRC candidates can file in the office of Edie Dilbeck, executive assistant to the vice president, on the TRC campus in Poplar Bluff. Office hours are 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday 8 am.-5 p.m. Campus will be closed from noon Dec. 17 to Jan. 3 for Christmas break.