Erin Smith|Bladen Journal The municipal election filing period got under way for towns throughout Bladen County this week. Members of the Elizabethtown Town Council arrived at the Bladen County Board of Elections Office to filed for re-election to their seats. From left are Councilmen Ricky Leinwand, Darrell Page and Dicky Glenn and Mayor Sylvia Campbell all completing their election paper work.

ELIZABETHTOWN — The filing period for municipal elections has gotten underway in Bladen County with several incumbents filing for re-election.

The filing period will end at noon on Thursday, July 17.

In Elizabethtown the mayor’s seat and three town councilmember seats are up for grabs, and incumbent Mayor Sylvia Campbell has filed for re-election to her seat along with incumbent councilmen Dicky Glenn, Ricky Leinwand and Darrell Page.

In Bladenboro, Gene Norton has filed seeking election to one of the town commissioner’s seats. There are three town commissioners seats available and one town commissioner’s seat which is an unexpired term, according to Bladen County Board of Elections Deputy Director Marsha White.

White explained that the seat, which was vacated by Timothy Benton when he resigned the position to join the U.S. Navy, still has two years remaining on the term. The seat is currently held by Patricia Callihan.

“Because we have a midterm election, someone has to run for the two years remaining on the term,” said White of the situation.

White said that in the year 2017, Callihan’s seat will go back onto the normal four-year rotation.

She said Terry Nance is also serving out an appointed term in Bladenboro for the seat that was vacated when Larry Simmons resigned his position on the council. White said Nance’s seat is for a full four-year term as the seat was up for re-election in 2015 anyway.

She said there is a similar situation in East Arcadia where long-time Mayor Willie Dixon passed away in September. White said Perry Blanks was appointed to serve the remainder of Dixon’s mayoral term. White said that the mayor’s seat was scheduled for re-election in 2015 so the person elected will also serve a full four-year term.

Also, there is unexpired two-year term remaining on the town commisisoner seat held currently by Pamela Graham. The seat was held by Blanks until he moved into the role of mayor. White said the seat will go back onto the regular four-year rotation in 2017.

There are also three town commissioner seats available in East Arcadia with four-year terms.

White said folks filing either for Bladenboro or East Arcadia’s town commissioner seats need to notify the election office staff whether they filing for one of the unexpired terms or for one of the four-year terms.

In White Lake, the mayor’s seat and three town commissioner seats are available. Incumbent Mayor Goldston Womble has filed for re-election and incumbent town commissioners Tracey Scott Trivette, Tom Riel and Don Smith have all filed seeking -relection to their seats.

Other seats available are:

— In Clarkton, the mayor’s seat and one town commissioner’s seat are available.

— In Dublin, the mayor’s seat and two town commissioner’s seats are available.

— In Tar Heel, the mayor’s seat and three town commissioner’s seats are available.

Erin Smith can be reached at 910-862-4163.