By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
One thing is certain about this year’s municipal elections in Washington: At least one new person will be elected to the City Council.
Councilman Archie Jennings is seeking to unseat Mayor Judy Meier Jennette. If successful, he becomes the next mayor. No matter if Jennings wins or loses his bid for the mayor’s post, he’s off the council come December.
Also challenging for the mayor’s seat are former Beaufort County Commissioner Mickey Cochran and Rick Gagliano, a member of the city’s Human Relations Council.
Incumbents Doug Mercer, Richard Brooks, Gil Davis and Darwin Woolard are seeking re-election to the City Council. Also seeking seats on the five-member council are Donna Lay, the Rev. Edward Moultrie, William Pitt and Bobby Roberson, a former planning and development director for the city.
The top five vote-getters in the council election will win seats on the new council, which will take office in December. The mayor and council members serve two-year terms. Traditionally, the incoming council elects the top vote-getter in the council election as the city’s mayor pro tempore, who runs council meetings if the mayor is absent.
Six other municipalities in the county have elections.
On Election Day, Belhaven voters will mark ballots to elect a mayor and two aldermen. The mayor serves a two-year term. The town’s five aldermen serve four-year staggered terms. The mayor’s seat and two aldermen’s seats, held by Steve Carawan (East End) and Howard D. Moore (West End), are up for election this year.
Belhaven Mayor Adam O’Neal is seeking re-election. He faces a challenge from former Mayor Charles O. Boyette.
Incumbents Carawan and Moore are seeking to retain their seats on the Belhaven Board of Aldermen. Chad Bond and Jay Wilkins filed to run for the board. Bond is challenging Carawan for the East End seat. Wilkins is challenging Moore for the West End seat.
Clif Williams, an Aurora commissioner, is running to become Aurora’s next mayor, the position now held by Winnie Douglas, who is not seeking re-election. Challenging him is Walter “W.C.” Boyd.
Incumbent Patricia Bragg and John Weeks are running for seats on the Aurora Board of Commissioners.
This year, Aurora voters will pick a mayor to serve a four-year term and two commissioners. Currently, Bragg and Williams occupy the two seats on the four-member Board of Commissioners up for grabs this year. The town’s commissioners serve four-year staggered terms.
The mayor’s seat and each of the five seats on the Washington Park Board of Commissioners are up for grabs on Election Day.
Washington Park Mayor Tom Richter is seeking re-election. Incumbents Horace B. Cowell, Jeff Peacock, Don Wilkinson and Zane Buckman are seeking re-election to the town’s Board of Commissioners. Challengers Patrick Nash and Jim Pagnani are seeking seats on the board. Commissioner Denny Dale is not seeking re-election.
The winners will serve two-year terms.
Also up for election this year are the mayor’s seat in Pantego and each of the five seats on the Pantego Board of Commissioners. The winners will serve two-year terms.
Pantego Mayor Glenda A. Jackson is unopposed in her re-election bid. Incumbent commissioners Mart Benson, Richard Craig, Robert Edwards, Frances Foreman and Stuart Ricks have filed for re-election.
Incumbents Jay Hardin and Marty Fulton are running for seats on the Bath Board of Commissioners. Cindy Baldwin is seeking to be elected to the board.
This year, Bath voters will elect two commissioners to serve four-year terms on the town’s Board of Commissioners. Currently, those two seats are held by Fulton and Hardin, commissioners serving two-year terms. They were elected to two-year terms instead of four-year terms in 2007 to provide for staggered terms on the board. Bath voters will choose three commissioners and a mayor in 2011 to serve four-year terms.
Chocowinity Mayor Jimmy Mobley and commissioners Billy Albritton and Louise S. Furman filed for re-election.
This year, Chocowinity voters will mark ballots for a mayor and two commissioners to serve four-year terms on the town’s four-member Board of Commissioners. The town’s commissioners serve four-year staggered terms.