The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Having a slate of candidates running unopposed is not unusual for Waitsburg’s annual elections. But having a shortage of candidates filing to fill the council seats is something new – at least in the recent history, according to city staff.

The deadline for filing declarations of candidacy for Waitsburg mayor and five council seats was Friday afternoon. Incumbent Marty Dunn and former councilwoman Debra Callahan will run for mayor, but only four candidates filed to fill the five vacant council seats.

Incumbents K.C. Kuykendall, Kevin House, Karen Gregutt, and Kate Hockersmith will all run again. Councilman Karl Newell did not file to run this term, leaving a vacant seat. Normally, the top five vote-getters are elected to the council.

Newell said he did not file because his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren are moving to Oklahoma, and he and his wife, Marianne, want to be able to travel freely to visit them.

City Assistant Clerk Kelly Steinhoff said the city’s attorney, Jared Hawkins, has been notified of the filing situation and will apprise the council of their options at the regular city council meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Lions Memorial Building at the Waitsburg fairgrounds.

Barring any changes, ballots will mail out on Friday and will be due at City Hall by 8 p.m. on April 3 or mailed with a postmark of April 3 or prior.