Mayor, board members add names to ballot list

Election ballot names for one mayor's seat and four members on various town and city boards were added on Tuesday with filers entering the races in Craven County.

Incumbent Trent Woods Mayor Chuck Tyson paid his fee at the Craven County Board of Elections to face voters for another two years, as did Will Lewis of Havelock, who filled out the paperwork for another two-year term on the Havelock Board of Commissioners.

John Percy Wetherington Jr. of Dover also made the trip into New Bern to signal his desire to serve again on the five-member Dover Board of Aldermen.

Incumbent Alderman Julius C. Parham filed to keep his Ward 1 seat on the New Bern Board of Aldermen for another term. Johnnie Ray Kinsey, a political newcomer, of Halifax Circle, stepped to the front of the line for that board's Ward 4 seat, which incumbent Jay Mattingly indicated he will not seek again.

They join incumbent New Bern Aldermen Mack L. Freeze of Ward 3 and Robert Raynor of Ward 2. Freeze and Raynor both filed on Monday for re-election to their seats.

Monday also included filings by incumbent Havelock Mayor Jimmy Sanders, incumbent River Bend Councilman Brenda Garvey, and River Bend challenger James Dancy.

Now a total of 10 candidates have filed to fill the 30 seats open in the Oct. 6 New Bern election and Nov. 3 election for Bridgeton, Dover, Havelock, River Bend, Trent Woods, and the First Craven Sanitary District boards.

Candidates can file at the Craven County Board of Elections office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and until noon the final Friday, July 17. Information on filing and registering to vote is available at the Elections Board link on Craven County's Web site, www.cravencountync.gov.