Filing for municipal elections starts today

Staff report

Filing for more than 40 municipal posts starts at 8 a.m. today at the Rowan County Board of Elections.

Municipal residents have two weeks to get their names on the ballots. Filing closes at noon on Friday, July 17.

Candidates file at the Rowan County Board of Elections office. The office is on the first floor of the Cohen Administrative Offices Building, 130 W. Innes St.

The filing fee in most of the towns is $5. Candidates in East Spencer and Salisbury must pay $10 to file.

Kannapolis has the highest fees, $60 for mayor and $30 for City Council.

Here is a summary of the open seats by town:

- Salisbury — five seats on City Council. They are currently held by Susan Wear Kluttz, Paul Woodson, William "Bill" Burgin, Mark N. Lewis, William "Pete" Kennedy and Mark N. Lewis. Kluttz is the appointed mayor.

- China Grove — three seats on the Board of Aldermen, currently held by Blair Lyseski, Butch Bivens and Allen Welter.

- Cleveland — mayor, currently held by James A. "Jim" Brown Jr.; three seats on the Board of Commissioners, currently held by Patrick T. Phifer, Danny Gabriel, and John I. Steele Jr.

- East Spencer — mayor, currently held by Erma S. Jeffries; two Board of Aldermen seats, currently held by Barbara A. Mallett, and Phronice M. Johnson.

- Faith — all five positions on Board of Aldermen, currently held by Bill Johnson, W. Todd Peeler, Gary Gardner, Mark Shores and Maxey Sanderson. Johnson is the appointed mayor.

- Granite Quarry — two Board of Aldermen seats, currently held by Eloise Peeler and Brad Kluttz.

- Kannapolis — mayor, currently held by Bob S. Misenheimer; three council seats, currently held by Randy Cauthen, R. Gene McCombs and Darrell Hinnant.

Kannapolis candidates file at either the Rowan or Cabarrus elections office, depending on where they live.

- Landis — two Board of Aldermen seats, currently held by James Furr and D. Craig Sloop.

- Rockwell — mayor, currently held by Beau Taylor; five Board of Aldermen seats, currently held by Tim Draper, Chuck Bowman, James W. "Bill" Ridenhour, Jeannie Misenheimer and Charles Wingerson.

- Spencer — mayor, currently held by Jody Everhart; five Board of Aldermen seats, currently held by Scott Benfield, Donnie Hinson, Kenneth Wayne Womble, Nick Bishop, and Clifford Edgar (C.E.) Spear.

The election will be Nov. 3.