Three area races lacking candidates

The people who fill vacant seats on the boards of aldermen in Oran and Marble Hill and several positions on the Zalma Fire Protection District may be decided after Tuesday's election instead of by the voters on that day.

No one has filed for candidacy for Ward 4 on the Oran board. In Marble Hill, no one has filed to fill the open seat in Ward 2. For the five open seats on the Zalma Fire Protection District just one person, Joe Newell, has filed for candidacy. Newell is seeking election for the two-year term.

While residents can write in a candidate on their ballots, Richard Sheets, deputy director of the Missouri Municipal League, said typically they don't write in someone who qualifies.

"Unfortunately in small outstate Missouri cities it's more common than you would think, not getting anyone to run for office," Sheets said.

Scott County Clerk Rita Milam said races without candidates occur countywide, not just in Oran.

"It's nothing new," she said.

Sheets said Thursday that if voters don't write in any candidates in the Oran and Marble Hill races, once the election results are certified the mayor of each city would have authority to appoint someone to the public office. The mayor would still need consent, however, from the majority of the other board members.

"That appointed person would serve until the next municipal election, in April 2012," Sheets said.

Bollinger County Clerk Diane Holzum said anyone that's written in for one of the open seats will be counted. Like in the board of aldermen elections, the person, if they're qualified, has a choice whether to accept the nomination.

A qualified candidate must be a resident of the city the open seat is in and of an appropriate age to fill the position.

"I would expect that their board would fill those vacancies," Sheets said.

Just one race is contested for the Oran Board of Aldermen. Residents Tim Daniels, Justin Bradley and Billy Senciboy are seeking to fill a vacancy in Ward 1. Tim McCain is uncontested in his race for Ward 1 on the Marble Hill Board of Aldermen.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

Oran, MO

Marble Hill, MO

Zalma, MO