Municipal filing begins Monday

Municipal candidate filing starts Monday, and the Board of Elections has already been abuzz about the open seats in Jacksonville.

The seats of city council members Reva Sullivan, Alva Williams, Jerome Willingham and Randy Thomas - the four who voted to fire City Manager Kristoff Bauer in June - are up for grabs in November. Rose Whitehurst, director of the Onslow County Board of Elections, said her office has seen added interest from residents asking how to go about filing to fill those council members' seats.

"We've had an upswing in calls and people coming into the office lately since (Bauer's firing) has happened, for information on candidate filing for those seats," she said. "We're looking for a very busy time as far as the Jacksonville citizens coming into register and turning out to vote. There seems to be a lot of interest in those seats."

She attributes that to the recent "hot topics" that have arisen with the current city council.

"If there's really no hot topics or hot issues on the table, generally the same candidates in office will refile," she said.

Williams, Sullivan and Willingham told The Daily News they each plan to file and run for office to retain their seats on the council.

"We're not through with our work yet," Williams said. "I hope the voting public is smart enough to figure it out that we are looking out for their best interests. It's a fine line you have to walk."

Thomas did not return Daily News messages seeking comment.

Although some precincts may only have one item on the ballot - an at-large seat - and no referendums slated to be voted on, Whitehurst said she expects voter turnout to be higher than usual due to the recent events involving the city council.

"It will be busy no matter what they have on the ballot at all the (Jacksonville) precincts this year," Whitehurst said.

Willingham said while there is always concern about how recent events may affect one's ability to remain in office, he plans to file as soon as possible because he still has goals to accomplish.

"There is nothing I would do differently. I think I've provided good representation," he said. "I think we've made a lot of progress and will continue to make that progress."

Sullivan said she believes the recent events involving the city council will factor into people's voting selections, but she isn't overly concerned.

"Anybody that's called me or e-mailed me has had a clear understanding, and I'm hoping to do that with my neighborhood meetings as I campaign," she said. "I believe that I've been in touch with the citizens in my ward, and I think that I've represented them fairly. Two years is kind of a short time, so I want to stay involved."

In 2007, the terms of the offices of the mayor and council members representing wards three and four in Jacksonville were extended to four-year seats. As a result, Mayor Sammy Phillips, Mayor Pro-tem Michael Lazzara and Councilwoman Fannie Coleman will retain their seats on the council until 2011.

Municipal candidate filing starts at 8 a.m. Monday and closes at noon on July 17. In order to file, candidates must be at least 21 years old, be registered to vote in Onslow County and a resident of their municipality and, in some cases, their ward, for at least 30 days prior to the election. To file, candidates are required to fill out a registration application and campaign finance forms.

Following is a list of the open municipal seats in Onslow County for the November 2009 elections and their corresponding filing fees:

Jacksonville:

Council member At large (two seats): $15

Council member Wards 1 and 2: $15

Holly Ridge:

Mayor: $5

Council member (five seats): $5

Richlands:

Mayor $5

Alderman (five seats) $5

Swansboro:

Mayor: $20.75

Commissioner (two seats): $13.84

North Topsail Beach:

Mayor: $5

Alderman (three seats): $5