9 mayors, 44 city council positions, and over 100 other seats will be open for new candidates coming up in May.
Filing Week for the November General Election, and possibly the August Primary, will begin Monday, May 13 and run through Friday, May 17 as eligible voters will be able to file to serve their community in public office.
In all, nearly 200 seats are open between Grays Harbor and Pacific County in various elections.
Residents will have the opportunity to file for Mayor in all 9 Grays Harbor cities, as well as in Long Beach for Pacific County.
City council seats in every Grays Harbor and Pacific County city also will be open.
In addition to the city positions, filing will open May 13 for 2 Port Commissioner positions in Grays Harbor and 5 in Pacific County, as well as numerous positions in area school, fire, hospital, water, and sewer districts,
The vast majority of offices are for full terms, while many positions are for unexpired or short and full terms. This includes the Port of Grays Harbor seats left open following the retirement of Chuck Caldwell and the passing of Jack Thompson.
Also included as an unexpired term is Oakville Mayor following Mayor Keith Thomas announcing in December that he was moving out of the area and stepping down, according to Oakville City Council minutes. Councilman Anthony Smith was appointed in February to fill the seat.
Oakville has seen a revolving door of Mayors in the last decade, with Mayor Brandon Atoch resigning in 2010, Mayor Thomas Sims resigning in May 2017 after being elected into the position in 2014, and Mayor Keith Francis recently.
Many offices require a fee to file for the position, which equates to 1% of the salaries for the position.
The Association of Washington Cities, who represent and work for local cities, has prepared a booklet with information for those considering filing for office, going over the basic duties and obligations of elected officials.