Seven more individuals, including four who are incumbent officeholders, have qualified as candidates in this year’s municipal elections in Tallahatchie County, according to information obtained from clerks on Tuesday afternoon.
All of the qualifiers are Democrats.
The latest to qualify are:
In Charleston
» Gyrone Kenniel, 62, of 106 Depot St., Charleston, qualified for Ward 1 city commissioner.
In Tutwiler
» Tara Roland, 47, of 208 Holly St., Tutwiler, qualified to seek Ward 4 alderwoman.
» Patricia Burnside Jones, 66, of 129 U.S. Highway 49, Tutwiler, qualified for Ward 4 alderwoman.
» Incumbent Ward 4 Alderwoman Diann Pimpton, 53, of 503 Second St., Tutwiler, qualified for re-election.
» Incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Donell Wiggins, 57, of 516 Central St., Tutwiler, qualified for re-election.
» Incumbent Ward 2 Alderman Christopher Hooper, 44, of 406 Hopson St., Tutwiler, qualified for re-election.
In Webb
» Incumbent Mayor Tracy T. Mims, 52, of 355 N. First St., Webb, is seeking his second term as the town’s chief executive.
As of Tuesday, there had been no municipal qualifiers in Glendora or Sumner, officials there reported.
Prospective candidates for municipal office have until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 3, to file qualifying papers and to pay any required qualifying fees.
Primary election day for municipal offices is May 2. The general election is June 6. A new four-year term for municipal officials begins on Monday, July 3.
Up for grabs in this year’s municipal elections are the offices of mayor and town alderman/city commissioner, as well as political party executive committee seats.
Anyone desiring to qualify to seek municipal office as a party candidate, such as Democrat or Republican, may do so by completing and filing with the appropriate municipal clerk’s office, a “Qualifying Statement of Intent,” and paying a $10 filing fee to their local town or city clerk.
Independent candidates do not have to pay a filing fee, but they must file a petition form bearing the signatures of a prescribed number of registered voters. The number of required signatures depends upon the population of the respective municipality.
In Charleston and Tutwiler, independent candidates for the office of mayor must submit a petition with the signatures of at least 50 qualified voters of the city or town.
Independent candidates for all municipal governing boards in Tallahatchie County — aldermen and commissioners — as well as independent candidates for mayor of Glendora, Sumner and Webb, must present a petition with the signatures of at least 15 qualified voters of their respective ward (if running for alderman) or town (if seeking the mayor’s position).
Qualifying statements and properly formatted candidate petition forms are available at municipal clerk offices.
These forms, as well as publications such as the “2017 Elections Calendar,” the “Municipal Election Handbook” and the “2017 Candidate Qualifying Guide,” also are available for download from the website of the Secretary of State’s Office, which is found at www.sos.ms.gov/elections.
