Ballots set for local city, school board elections

Residents in Hartley and Everly will have choices to make when they hit the polls Nov. 7.

Voters in both cities will be handed a contested ballot. In the City With a Heart, Greg Cotter, Matt Dolphin and Kenneth Embrey are vying for two open seats. Cotter has served on the council for the past two months after filling the vacancy left by Roxann Swanson, who resigned to accept the city administrator's position. Current Council Member Jerry Olson chose not to seek re-election.

Elsewhere on Hartley's ballot, incumbent Mayor Rodney Ahrenstorff is running unopposed.

Everly's ballot features one of the more crowded ballots in the area. Incumbent Mayor Ron Thompson is being challenged by current City Council Member Tracey Grigg-Schuver, while five candidates are competing for three open seats: Josh Seaman, Tara Patrick, Roger "Lefty" Ginger, Denise Cook and Tatum Geerdes. Patrick and Cook are incumbents.

Royal's ballot is mundane compared to recent years when multiple council candidates have filed. This year newcomer Alec Nielsen and incumbents James Virelli and Jeff Van Westen are running for three open seats. Current Council Member Matt Goyette did not file to run for re-election. Mayor Josh Toft is also running unopposed for another term.

City councils and mayors' chairs aren't the only things being decided Nov. 7 – local school board members will also be on the ballot.

At Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, incumbent District 4 Board Member Kyle McCarter is running unopposed. No candidate filed for election in District 1, which is currently represented by Board Member Ryan Haack.

Clay Central/Everly voters will cast ballots for two candidates in two districts. Current District 1 Board Member Allyn Heikens is running for re-election unopposed, while newcomer Amber Campbell is running for an at-large spot. Longtime CC/E Board Member Brian Schmidt is not seeking re-election.