Local mayors re-elected

Thompson Falls and Hot Springs voters elected to keep their mayors another term.

Incumbent mayors Mark Sheets of Thompson Falls and Randal Woods of Hot Springs will retain their seats following the election Tuesday. In Thompson Falls, Sheets won by 15 votes, getting 190 to opponent Dennis Newman's 175. Newman is a current member of the City Council.

In Hot Springs, Woods garnered 115 votes, Karen Evans received 94 votes, and Robert L. Jackson had 9.

Two positions were up for grabs on the Hot Springs City Council. Leslee Balsley-Smith and Paul Stelter were elected to the four-year term positions, gathering 117 and 112 votes, respectively. Other contenders in that race were Susan Faye Roberts with 87 votes, write-in candidate Nina Decoster had 78, and Liz DeRoche 9.

In Plains, voters passed a measure to create Special District No. 1 - Street Maintenance for the purpose of maintenance, construction and reconstruction of streets and alleys in the town limits. This included a special assessment of up to $50,000 per year for five years. The assessment will amount to approximately $52.62 on a home valued at $100,000 and $111.25 on a home valued at $200,000. The measure got 223 votes in favor, while 136 voted against it.

There was no election for Plains mayor or council, as all vacancies were be filled by acclamation - meaning there was no opponent registered to run against the candidate. In Plains this includes the mayor position, with candidate Danny Rowan; council member for Ward 1, Seat 2, Joel Banham; Ward 2, Seat 2, Audrey Kolbeck; and Ward 3, Seat 2, Christopher Allen.

On the Thompson Falls City Council, Earlene Powell will retain her Ward 2, Seat 2 position. Powell had 33 votes to Dennis Koker's 32 and Dawn Gandalf's 31.

Sanders County Elections Administrator Nichol Scribner said Tuesday that races must be within a certain percentage of a point in order to qualify for an automatic recount. She said that of any of the races, Thompson Falls City Council was the closest. Scribner was reviewing state law before a decision could be made on a recount for that race.

Scribner said that any candidate can request a recount. However, if it is requested by a candidate, the bond must be posted by that candidate, and the candidate has to cover the cost of the recount.

Two Thompson Falls City Council races were uncontested. Shawni Vaught will be voted in to Ward 3, Seat 2 trustee position by acclamation, since there is no registered candidate running against her. And in Ward 1, Seat 2, Lynne Kirsten won by acclamation.

In the Hot Springs Council race, DeRoche had moved to withdraw her name. However, that motion was filed two days after the deadline and she could not be taken off the ballot. Had DeRoche won, Sanders County elections officials discovered that legally, DeRoche would have had to resign the position and the seat would have been filled by appointment of the trustees.