City filings close
Races develop in Okarche, Hennessey
Dawn Terrell and Debbie Burpo will be new Kingfisher city commissioners while Hennessey and Okarche voters will decide who fills some of their municipal seats.
Filing ended Wednesday evening for positions in Kingfisher, Hennessey, Dover and Okarche.
Terrell was the only candidate to file for an unexpired term of three years on Kingfisher’s commission.
That seat was left open when Ryan Deatherage resigned late last year.
Meanwhile, Burpo will take over a four-year term as current Vice Mayor Wendell Prim is prohibited from refiling as he’s completing two complete terms.
The two new commissioners will be sworn into their offices at the April 10 meeting.
Hennessey had five people file for three seats on its board of trustees.
The three incumbents - Mayor Bert Gritz, Vice Mayor Clif Vogt and Trustee Richard Simunek - all refiled.
Joining the mix were Frank Patton and Randy Bohnstedt.
The top three vote getters in the general municipal election on April 4 will decide who claims the seats.
Kelley Vaverka was the only candidate to file for Hennessey’s town clerk position. Current Clerk Kati Walters did not file for re-election.
Okarche’s voters will pick between candidates in Ward 1 as well as the town clerk seat.
Jason Kroener and Jeremy Miller filed for the Ward 1 seat while incumbent Matt Blackwood didn’t file for re-election.
Current Clerk Dana Reese did file for re-election while Erin Rother-Stover also declared as a candidate.
Nobody will run against incumbent Jeff Brueggen in Ward 3.
Dover’s town board will look the same.
Incumbents Mike Walters, Brian Chestnut and Sheila Holmes all filed for re-election to the five-member board.
Abette Bryan initially filed for the board, but later withdrew her name.