POLK COUNTY – Five more candidates have filed for the 2017 municipal election for the towns of Tryon and Columbus and City of Saluda councils.

Incumbent Saluda Commissioner Carolyn Ashburn filed on Wednesday, July 12 to be re-elected along with newcomer Helen Ringus, who filed for Tryon Town Council.

On Thursday, July 13, incumbent Saluda Mayor Fred Baisden filed for re-election, incumbent Saluda commissioner Mark Oxtoby filed for re-election and newcomer Brent Jackson filed for Columbus council.

The recent candidates join five others who have filed so far for the towns of Columbus and Tryon and City of Saluda.

Filing began on July 7 with Tryon incumbent commissioner Bill Ingham filing for re-election as well as incumbent Tryon Mayor Alan Peoples. Tryon commissioner Bill Crowell also filed last Friday to run. Crowell was appointed to the board in 2015 to fill a vacant seat.

In Columbus, incumbent councilman Mark Phillips filed to run for re-election, along with Ernie Kan.

There are two council seats (Ingham’s and Crowell’s) open in Tryon along with the mayor seat as well as the seat of former commissioner Roy Miller, who resigned in June. The person who is elected to fill Miller’s unfinished term will serve until 2019, when they will have to run again. Tryon Town Council appointed Chrelle Booker to fill Miller’s seat, effective July 1, until the election in November.

In Columbus, there are three council seats open, those of councilman Phillips and councilmen Josh Denton and Richard Hall, along with the mayor seat.

In Saluda, there are two council seats open, the seats of commissioner Mark Oxtoby and Ashburn’s seat as well as mayor Fred Baisden’s seat.

Filing is open until noon on Friday, July 21. Filing can be done with a $5 filing fee for all seats at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus.

The general municipal election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7.