By Shane Scoggins
Publisher
CARNESVILLE – Candidate qualifying for local elections begins Monday.
Qualifying for two seats on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and three posts on the board of education will be held March 7-11 at the Franklin County Board of Elections and Registration in Carnesville.
Hours for qualifying will be 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. March 7-10 and 9 a.m. until noon on March 11.
Qualifying fees were set at three percent of the annual salary for each elected position.
Qualifying fee for the two commission seats will be $216. Commissioners are paid $7,200 per year.
The Post 3 seat currently held by Ryan Swails and the Post 4 seat currently held by Eddie Wester will be up for election next year.
Neither Swails nor Wester plan to run for reelection.
Both commissioners previously announced their decisions not to run again.
County commission races are partisan.
The fee to run for school board was set at $36, based on school board members’ $1,200 annual salary.
School board seats are non-partisan.
The Post 3 seat held by Randall Gailey, the Post 4 seat held by Vice Chair Alan Mitchell and the Post 5 seat held by Chair Robin Cato will all be up for election.
Primaries for partisan races, as well as the election for school board, will be held May 24.
A special referendum for Lavonia voters to decide on alcohol sales on Sunday will also be on the May 24 ballot.