Election filing deadline nearing

Prospective candidates have until 5 p.m. Friday to file for 62 Tuolumne County school and special district seats that will appear on the November ballot.

The filing period began July 16. Candidates who complete the required nomination paperwork by Aug. 10 and do not withdraw could appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

If an incumbent does not file to run for re-election by the deadline, the nomination period for that office is extended until Aug. 15. Any qualified person other than the incumbent may file for the position during the extension period.

Not all individuals who have pulled the nomination paperwork had filed it as of Friday morning, and not all who have filed the documents will appear on the ballot, according to county records.

If only one person applies for a position, the candidate is automatically declared the victor and the office will not appear on the ballot for election, said Tuolumne County Clerk and Auditor-Controller Deborah Russell.

The term for most offices will be four years. However, nine of the available positions are short-term, meaning the elected officials will serve for two years.

School district seats up for election this year include the Tuolumne County Board of Education, Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified, Sonora Union High, Summerville Union High, Twain Harte-Long Barn, Belleview, Columbia Union, Curtis Creek, Jamestown, Sonora, Soulsbyville and Summerville.

Special districts with seats available include Groveland, Lake Don Pedro and Twain Harte community service districts; Columbia, Jamestown, Mi-Wuk Village, Strawberry and Tuolumne fire districts; Jamestown and Tuolumne sanitary districts; Tuolumne Parks and Recreation District and Tuolumne Utilities District. 

Candidates must be registered voters of the districts they apply for, and if they are filing for the Tuolumne County Board of Education, they must also live within the trustee zone they are running for. There are no filing fees for district seats.

The following are the elections and filings as of Thursday. 

Tuolumne Utilities District

The Tuolumne Utilities District, which provides water and sewage services to the majority of the county, has three full-term director positions up for election as well as one short-term position. Appointed incumbents Dennis Dahlin and Ron W. Ringen; businessman David Evans, hotel owner Michael P. Sarno, businessman Mike Suess, retired park manager John Maciel and retired businessman Jim Grinnell have all pulled paperwork for the position, but had not filed as of Friday morning. Incumbents Barbara Balen and Bob Behee have not started the filing process.

Tuolumne County 
Board of Education

There are four governing board member positions up for election in trustee areas 1, 2, 3 and 5, collectively. Incumbents Juliana M. Feriani and Linda G. Millhollin have filed for Area 3, and incumbent Joe von Herrmann has pulled nomination documents, but not completed the filing process for Area 2. Incumbent Sherri Brennan will run for Board of Supervisors District 1.

Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District

Three governing board member positions are up for election, but no one has started the filing process.

Sonora Union High School District 

There are two board positions up for election: trustee areas 1 and 2. Incumbent Jeanie E. Smith has filed and educator Erik J. Andal has pulled paperwork. Incumbent Ed Clinite has not started the filing process.

Summerville Union High School District

Two board positions are up for election and incumbent Dennis R. Spisak has pulled paperwork but has not filed. 

Twain Harte-Long Barn Unified School District

Two board positions are up for election and appointed incumbent Ken Scott has filed for one of them. 

Belleview School District

One governing board member position is up for election. Incumbent Nickolas R. Schader has filed for the seat and teacher Randal E. Lee has started the filing process.

Columbia Union School District 

Two governing board member positions are up for election. Curtis Creek Incumbent Marjorie Jones, teacher Jenny David and college counselor/instructor Courtney Castle have filed. Fire captain Danese Pimentel and attorney Melissa Kay Gehring Knobloch have pulled nomination documents.

Curtis Creek 
School District

Two governing board member positions are up for election, but no one has pulled paperwork.

Jamestown 
School District

Two governing board member positions are up for election, and appointed incumbent Aaron Moss has pulled paperwork but has not yet filed.

Sonora School District

Two board seats are up for election and incumbent Joyce Lupo has filed for a seat. Incumbent Mark Plummer has not pulled paperwork.

Soulsbyville School District

Two seats are up for election, but no one has pulled nomination documents for the office.

Summerville
School District

Two board seats are up for grabs. Incumbent Rachel Bell and former student Sondra Ledsome have filed. 

Groveland Community Service District

The district provides services such as water and sewage treatment, fire protection and park facilities operation in the Groveland area. Two director positions up for election, but no one has started filing for the spots. 

Lake Don Pedro Community Service District

The district, which provides water and sewage treatment in Lake Don Pedro, has three full-term director positions up for election, as well as one short-term position. Appointed incumbent Victor Afanasiev has filed for one of the seats.

Twain Harte Community Service District

There are three director positions up for election in the district, which provides water, sewer, parks and recreation, and fire and emergency services for Twain Harte. Appointed incumbents Jim Johnson and Gary Sipperley, and incumbent Richard Knudson have filed.

Columbia Fire District

Two director positions are up for election and incumbent Mary O’Hearn has filed. 

Jamestown Fire District

Two full-term director positions are up for election, as well as one short-term position. No one has begun the filing process.

Mi Wuk Fire District

Two full-term director positions are up, as well as one short-term position. Appointed incumbent E. Dale Armstrong has filed.

Strawberry Fire District

Two full-term director positions are up, as well as one short-term position. Incumbent William Cashman has filed.

Tuolumne Fire District

Two director positions are up for election, but no one has begun the filing process.

Jamestown 
Sanitary District

Two full-term director positions are up for election, as well as one short-term position. Incumbents Judy L. Selby and Stephen Willey, and appointed incumbent David Krieg have filed.

Tuolumne Parks and Recreation District

No one has started filing for two full-term directors positions up for election, as well as one short-term position.

Also set to appear on the November ballot are runoff races following June’s primary election. 

Karl Rodefer will run against Domenic Torchia for the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat. The victor will replace Dick Pland, who decided not to run for re-election.

Board of Supervisors District 1 candidates Sherri Brennan and incumbent Liz Bass will also runoff in November.

The only way someone can run against those candidates is if the individual files paperwork by the deadline to be a write-in candidate. 

The ballot will include two school bond measures and a proposed ambulance tax. 

Offices that are not open for filing, but will also be on the general election ballot, include President of the United States, U.S. Senate and the 5th District State Assembly. 

Voters will decide on 11 state propositions that include Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax increase, a ban on corporate and union contributions to state candidates, a repeal of the “three strikes” law and a proposition to end the death penalty.