Last week the Gazette published an article about the nonpartisan town election in November to fill the seats held by Mayor Vivian Jones and Commissioners Margaret Stinnett and Jim Thompson.
Because the editor mistakenly used an outdated email address for Thompson, he never knew until much later he was being asked if he planned to run for a second term. And it seems he will. “I have really enjoyed my term of office with the Town of Wake Forest and feel there is still much more to accomplish. At this point, I am fairly confident I will be running again.”
Stinnett replied this week, saying about a possible run for a fourth term that it is “too early to know.”
Jones issued a statement last week saying she plans to run for a fifth term.
The elections for town elected officials are held on a two-year staggered schedule with three seats up for election in odd-numbered years. The filing fee for mayoral candidates is $50 and town commissioner candidates pay $15. This year the filing period runs from noon on July 7 until noon on July 21. Each commissioner and the mayor serve four-year terms. Because there are no districts, the two candidates for commissioner with the most votes are elected.
The mayor’s salary is $10,000 per year and each commissioner is paid $8,000. Elected officials may choose to get health insurance coverage through the town’s plan for employees, Town Clerk Deeda Harris said.
The election on Nov. 7 will be conducted by the Wake County Board of Elections. If you want to make sure you can vote in this important election for the town – all town elections are important – make sure you are registered to vote. If you are not registered, you may do so easily online at www.wakegov.com, or at any library, the Wake County Board of Elections office in Raleigh, any public high school or college admissions office, and at any state Department of Motor Vehicles office, any department of social services or public health, vocational rehabilitation office, services for the blind and the deaf and hard of hearing, mental health, and the Employment Security Commission.
However, there were a number of instances in the 2016 election where the DMV had not properly sent on voter registrations. You can be sure you are registered if you do it on line or in person with the county elections board. You will also receive confirmation in the form of a voter registration card.
