Hartington needs a Mayoral candidate to step up

HARTINGTON —  The search for a new Mayor of Hartington is still on.
As of noon Tuesday, no one had yet filed for the position, which will become vacant at the end of the year. Two-term Mayor Brad Peitz has decided not to seek another term in office.
Any non-incumbent interested in the position, or any other elected office, has until 5 p.m., March 1, to file election papers with Cedar County Clerk Dave Dowling.
Besides needing a new Mayor, the Hartington City Council is also in need of a new City Council member. Long-time Councilman Gary Kruse has decided not to seek a fourth term in office.
While the race for Hartington City Council has not drawn much interest, the race for Cedar County Commission is drawing a great deal of interest.
District Three Commissioner Dave McGregor is being challenged by two candidates. McGregor is seeking his fourth term in office, having been first elected in 2006.
Scott Keiter and Tim Burbach both announced their intention last week to run for the seat. All three candidates are running on the Republican ticket, so the field will be whittled down after the May Primary Election.
Burbach is a former Hartington City Councilman. Keiter is making his first run at public office.
District 3 covers Hartington and much of the central part of Cedar County.
Terry Pinkelman, who represents District 1 in northern Cedar County, is being challenged for another term in office by Scott Tramp, rural Crofton. Pinkelman, a Democrat, has been in office since 2010.  Tramp, also a Democrat, is seeking office for the first time.
At least one other Hartington area board is in need of a candidate.
The Hartington-Newcastle School Board has had two long-time members decide to step down at the end of their terms this year.
Colin Kathol and Brenda Steiner both chose not to seek another term in office.
Political newcomer Candice Climer has decided to throw her hat in the ring, however, one other seat will still need to be filled.
Dowling said if no one files for the vacant seat prior to the deadline a candidate can still get elected, but they must do so with a write-in campaign. In order to have a write-in campaign recognized, candidates must still file with the Clerk’s office and pay a filing fee of one percent of the annual salary of the position being sought.
The filing fee for the Mayoral seat is $40, while the fee to file for Harington City Council is $22. There is no fee for the School Board, since that is not a paid position, Dowling said.
If no one seeks the vacant positions, Dowling said the current board would have to make an appointment to the Board.