The filing period for local municipal elections has begun and will extend through next week, with terms for 23 posts expiring countywide, including four mayoral positions.

Clinton, Garland and Newton Grove will all see its mayors’ terms come to an end, along with the terms of three other elected positions each. Autryville will also need to vote for mayor and two open commissioner seats.

Salemburg will have three Council seats vacated, while Turkey and Harrells will have two board positions come open this year. After having one of the most contested races in Sampson County during the last municipal election in 2007 — four challengers, including a sitting mayor, seeking three open commissioner positions and three others seeking the vacated mayor’s seat — Roseboro will need to fill just one commissioner seat.

Filing for the municipal election actually began at noon Friday. However, with Friday being observed as a holiday, the filing period in Sampson did not get under way until Monday, said Sylvia Thornton, director of the Sampson County Board of Elections.

She said the filing period would extend until noon July 17. The election will be held Nov. 3.

In Clinton, those who will see their terms expire include Mayor Lew Starling, Councilmen Steve Stefanovich (District 1) and Marcus Becton (District 3) and Councilwoman Maxine Harris (District 5).

Of the 23 elected posts coming open, Harris is the only person who has filed as part of the municipal election thus far, according to Thornton. She filed at the Board of Elections Wednesday morning, Thornton said.

In Garland, mayor Anthony Johnson will see his term expire, as will Council members Clayton Cannady, Coleman Johnson and Elizabeth Johnson.

Newton Grove will vote for mayor and three town commissioners seats. The mayoral post is currently held by Gerald W. Darden, while the three board members seeing their terms expire include Brenda L. Raynor, George Schwartz and Gary Mac Herring. Herring was approved for the commissioner’s post by the town board in April 2007, when Judson Herring stepped down from the position following a move out of town.

Autryville mayor Patricia Williams will be up for re-election, along with town commissioners Kenneth B. Johnson and Mickie W. Spell, who all see their terms end this year.

Turkey’s two Council seats being vacated are those held by Anita Ezzell and Kenneth Smith. Roseboro’s lone expiring post will be a commissioner’s seat currently held by Arnold Sandy.

In Salemburg, Councilmen George Lockamy, Arnold Page and Joe Warren are seeing their terms come to an end, as are Harrells Aldermen Robert M. Burley Jr. and Charles S. Moore. Last year’s filing period had to be extended in Harrells because only two incumbents had filed to fill three open positions at the time of the initial deadline.

Thornton attested that it is sometimes a slow process in municipal filing, whether incumbent or challenger.

“It’s usually just hard to get people out to file,” said Thornton. “They normally can’t make up their minds or they’re waiting to see if others are going to file.”

The cost to file is $5 for every position but the mayor of Clinton, which requires a fee of $10, Thornton noted.

There will be one-stop voting offered at the Board of Elections on County Complex Road, however a specific date has not been set, said Thornton, who pointed out the date is in October, usually about two weeks prior to election day.

Contrary to general elections, notably last year’s, voting for municipal elections tends to have a lighter turnout. Early voting is no different, Thornton said.

“In a municipal election, if we have 25 people vote that’s a lot,” she said. “We didn’t have anyone vote early last municipal election.”

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.