COLUMBUS – Local residents have until tomorrow, Friday, July 21 to file to run for the 2017 municipal election in Polk County’s three towns.

Anyone interested can file with a $5 fee at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus. Filing closes at noon on Friday.

There are several candidates who have already filed for council and mayor seats for the towns of Columbus and Tryon and City of Saluda.

Columbus

In the Town of Columbus, incumbent council members Josh Denton and Mark Phillips have filed to run for re-election along with newcomers Ernie Kan, Brent Jackson and Marshall “Buddy” Watkins. No one has yet filed to run for mayor.

Saluda

In the City of Saluda, incumbent commissioners Carolyn Ashburn and Mark Oxtoby have filed for re-election along with challengers Paul Curtis Marion and Theodore William Stevens.

So far, incumbent mayor Fred Baisden has filed unopposed.

Tryon

In Tryon, incumbent commissioner Bill Ingham has filed for re-election along with current commissioner Bill Crowell. Crowell was appointed in 2015 to fill an open seat. Crowell and Ingham will run against challenger Helen Ringus, who has also filed. Incumbent Tryon Mayor Alan Peoples has filed, with no challengers as of late Wednesday.

No one has yet filed to fill the unexpired term of Tryon commissioner Roy Miller, who resigned July 1. Miller’s term expires in 2019 with someone needing to run to fill his seat specifically.

All other candidates run for four-year terms, with the highest vote getters receiving four-year terms and the lowest vote getters receiving two-year terms.

The only incumbents who have not filed as of late Wednesday, July 18 are Columbus Mayor Eric McIntyre and Columbus Councilman Richard Hall.

No primary is held for municipal elections. The election is also non-partisan.

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