Editor's note
This story was updated with confirmation that Christopher McMorran does not plan to run for a School Board seat.
Two positions on the five-member Philomath School Board will be voted upon in the May 16 special election and as of Tuesday afternoon, no candidates had filed.
The deadline to file is coming up March 16.
The two seats on the ballot are currently filled by Karen Skinkis and Christopher McMorran. Skinkis, elected to Position 5, said Tuesday that she is undecided about whether or not to run again. McMorran said he has no plans to run, his intention all along to only finish out the Position 2 term that became vacant last summer with the resignation of Anton Grube.
Candidates must be at least 21 years old, registered to vote and have lived in the Philomath School District for one year immediately preceding the election. Board members may live anywhere within the district boundaries and will be elected on an at-large basis.
Candidates must file with the county clerk’s office by either submitting a petition with signatures of registered voters or by declaring a candidacy and paying the filing fee. Filing by petition has a deadline of March 16 and candidates should contact the Benton County Elections Office to determine how many signatures are required. Filing by declaration also has a deadline of March 16.
School board members are elected to four-year terms and successful candidates will serve from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027.
Philomath Fire & Rescue board
Three seats on the Philomath Fire & Rescue Board of Directors are also included on the May 16 ballot. Two of those terms run four years and the other to finish out a two-year unexpired term.
As of Tuesday, two candidates had filed — Daphne Phillips and Rick Brand, who both current board members.
Phillips is running for Position 5 and Brand for Position 4. There have been no filings for the Position 1 vacancy. Joe Brier was appointed for a partial term and currently fills Position 1.
Candidates must be registered to vote and live in the fire district and have the same filing deadlines as the school board candidates. Local residents interested in running can reach out to Philomath Fire & Rescue at 5471-360-0030 or admin@philomathfire.com.
Blodgett-Summit RFPD
In the Blodgett-Summit Rural Fire Protection District, four seats are open on the board with two filings as of Tuesday. Shannon Zuschlag has filed to run for Position 1, a four-year term. Britt Carlson has filed to run for Position 2, also a four-year term. The Position 4 and Position 5 seats have not attracted any candidates — both of those seats carrying two-year terms.
Hoskins-Kings Valley RFPD
The Hoskins-Kings Valley Rural Fire Protection District board has two seats open and no candidates have filed as of Tuesday. Position 1 and Position 2 are both up for election — both of those being four-year terms.
The county anticipates mailing ballots to local voters around April 26. The last day to register to vote is April 25.
For more information, contact the Benton County Elections Division at 541-766-6756 or www.co.benton.or.us/elections).