By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Election filing will begin Wednesday, Jan. 4, for candidates seeking positions for the city of Warsaw and small towns.

In Warsaw, the offices of mayor, clerk-treasurer, all five city council district seats and the two city council at-large seats will be up for election.

Winona Lake will have the offices of clerk-treasurer and town council districts 1, 2 and 4 seats up for election.

The office of clerk-treasurer and town council districts 3, 4 and 5 will be up for election in Syracuse.

Candidate filings for the primary election for positions in Syracuse, Winona Lake and city of Warsaw will begin Jan. 4 and end at noon, Feb. 3. This is for Republican and Democrat candidates only. Should there be no contested filings for open positions, there will not be a primary.

Filings will also begin Jan. 4 for small town elections in Claypool, Etna Green, Leesburg, Mentone, North Webster, Pierceton, Sidney and Silver Lake for Republican, Democrat and Libertarian candidates. Filing will end at noon, Aug. 1.

In all eight communities the offices of clerk-treasurer and three council seats are up for election. With the exception of Claypool, all council seats are at-large. The seats for the Claypool council will be for seats from the north, center and south districts.

Ann Torpy, county clerk, explained for the small town elections, a town convention may be held if more than one candidate files for a clerk-treasurer’s position or town council seat. The party will make a candidate selection from those candidates. Should there then be a contested race between the parties within a town — for example, three council seats available with three from one party, one or more from the other parties — an election will be held in November. However, if there are only enough candidates file for those seats available, no election will be held.