The period for filing nominating petitions for positions on local boards of education or other elected offices starts Friday, March 12 and runs until 5 p.m. Friday, March 19. This is for the primary elections to be held on June 22.

In Duchesne County, three school board positions are up for election. Two county commissioners are also at the end of their four-year terms, as are other elected officials in the following Duchesne County offices: attorney, sheriff, surveyor, clerk/auditor, assessor, recorder, treasurer and Justice Court judge.

It is anticipated that all the incumbents, with the exception of one School Board member, will seek re-election.

Duchesne County Clerk JoAnn Evans said that her office was not surprised that they had yet to receive any official word from new candidates or sitting officials. “It’s a little early,” Evans said. “We’ll start seeing packets come in next week.”
According to Deputy Clerk Teresa Baker, application candidacy papers are available at the Duchesne County Clerk’s Office, 734 N. Center Street in Duchesne. These packets need to be returned in person between March 12 and March 19 to the same office between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Before the filing officer accepts any candidacy, he or she must read the candidate the constitutional and statutory requirements for candidacy. The candidate shall state whether he/she fulfills the requirements of candidacy. These requirements can be found on the Duchesne County Web site or on the Lt. Governor's Web site under the election code 20A-9-201; 20A-9-202. There is also a filing fee.

SCHOOL BOARD RACES
Duchesne County School Board member John Hullinger of Roosevelt will vacate the school board seat he has held for nearly 13 years.

“It’s time,” Hullinger said. “There are good men and women waiting in the wings for an opportunity to serve. I’m sure there is someone that will do a great job.”
When former School Board member Tim Cox moved in the middle of his term, Hullinger became the replacement.

“I had no agenda going in,” Hullinger said. “I just wanted to see a good blend of education and activities. With a lot of help, I think we’ve done a good job.”
Hullinger mentioned the large building projects that have occurred in the last 10 years and recognized that there are going to be challenges for the board as they build again in the next few years.

“There are qualified people out there,” the departing board member said.
Nancy West of Roosevelt and Kim Harding of Myton are both up for re-election. Both have stated that they would like to remain in office.

“I’m excited about the decisions we’ve made in the last few months,” Harding said. “I would like to see them through. I don’t intend to be on the board for a long time. But I’ve learned a lot in the last four years and feel I can go forward to do a better job in the next.”

Nancy West, board president, also wants to complete the projects she is presently involved in. West, a former teacher, originally ran for the board because she wanted to stay in contact with the children after retirement.
“My health wouldn’t allow me to be in a classroom,” West said. “This gives me the opportunity to have input and interaction with them and the parents.”

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Kirk Wood and Kent Peatross are at the end of their County Commission terms in Seat A and Seat B respectively. Both men plan to file for re-election.
Wood feels that he has spent three years learning his job as a commissioner and would like to use that education.

“If they want to start from scratch with someone else, that’s the voter’s decision,” Wood said, “But they’ve invested three years into my training, and I’d like to use that experience to serve for at least another term.”

Wood called himself “the conservative voice in the county,” but wants his constituents to know that he is open to any idea and willing to listen.

Peatross has already served two terms, but wants to finish some of the projects he is working on. One of the issues he deals with is public lands, particularly the BLM Resource Management Plan.

“I want to promote more drilling and exploration of energy in Duchesne County,” he said.

SWIMMING POOL
Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatics Center, a plan to replace Roosevelt's aging municipal pool with a new indoor-outdoor facility, were hoping that the June ballot would include a special bond election for the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of building and operating a county swimming pool.
Kirk Wentworth, who heads the committee that’s pushing the pool proposal, explained that there is a problem getting the issue in front of voters.

“Initiatives and bond proposals aren’t really the same. Initiatives must be voted on only in a general election (November). On the other hand, the county commissioners have the power to approve a bond on a primary election as long as they do it 75 days before the election.”

Wentworth is hoping that the commissioners will accept the signatures he collected to put the measure on the ballot as a bond proposal. He hopes they don’t continue to follow the initiative process, which would mean waiting until November for the public to have its say on the bond issue and accompanying property tax increase.

The commissioners dealt with the issue on Monday. At press time it was not known how they planned to deal with the issue.

VOTER REGISTRATION
Local adults have several options to become registered. The Lieutenant. Governor’s Web site has online registration as does the Duchesne County Web site.

Registration forms also are available at the libraries in Duchesne and Roosevelt. In addition, unregistered voters may come by the clerk’s office in the county offices and find one, or call the same office at (435) 738-1123 and have a form delivered.

“There is no excuse not to be registered,” Evans said.

To be eligible to vote in Utah, one must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 on or before election day, and must have resided in the state for 30 days prior to election day. Registration may be done year round except for the 20-day period preceding any primary, general or special election.

2010 ELECTION CANDIDATE FILING FEES

OFFICE                                                     FILING FEE

U.S Senate                                               $1305.00
U.S. House of Rep.                                      $435.00
Governor                                                    $268.00 (1/2 of regular fee)
Lt. Governor                                               $254.60 (1/2 of Regular fee)
Utah Senator                                                $26.30
Utah House of Rep.                                       $13.20
State Board of Education                                $15.00
Attorney                                                     $378.80
Sheriff                                                         $304.10
Surveyor                                                      $271.60
Clerk/Auditor                                                $271.60
Assessor                                                      $271.60
Recorder                                                      $271.60
Treasurer                                                     $271.60
Commissioner                                                $271.60
Court Judge                                                   $25.00
School Board                                                  $25.00