City council race now contested

The deadline to file for local board seats to be decided May 4 is fast approaching, and five candidates filed their paperwork during the last week.

Amanda Tabor filed for an Albany school board seat, while Dwaine “Dewey” Knight and incumbent Carolyn Waller added their names to the ballot for Albany City Council.

Mike Folsom and incumbent Jo Ann Estridge filed for the Shackelford hospital board.

Candidates must file by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15 to have their names on the ballot.

As of Feb. 13, there were three contested races among all the entities. Four candidates have filed for the Place 7 seat  and two for Place 5 on the Albany school board, at least as of press time, and three candidates are vying for two spots on the Albany city council.

Albany City Council

Ragan Riley, Knight, and Waller are running for the two seats on the council.

The office of mayor, currently held by Rodney Alexander, and the at-large city council seats currently held by Waller and Joe Tidwell are up for election in 2019. 

Albany School Board

Clint Chapman, Stephen Kayga, Mike Bean, and Dinty Bowman are all running for Place 7 on the Albany school board, though that could change, according to AISD secretary Morgan Whitley.

“At least one candidate is considering changing and running for a different seat,” Whitley said. “They are allowed to make changes until Feb. 15.”

Incumbent Kelly Head has filed for re-election to Place 5 and now faces Tabor.

Joe Tidwell is so far unopposed for Place 6, the seat currently held by retiring member Pam Davis.

Hospital Board

The Shackelford County Hospital Board two-year, at-large seats currently held by Bean, Leslie Belcher, and Estridge will be on the ballot this year.

According to Regina Whitt at the district office, Folsom, and Estridge have turned in completed packets, and two others have been picked up.

Moran City Council

Steve Taggart has filed for re-election for another term as Moran mayor.

Moran has two at-large council seats, currently held by Stanley Reeves and McFerrin, up for election this cycle. No candidates had filed as of Tuesday.

Moran School Board

Alice Branham and Sam Snyder, both incumbent trustees on the Moran school board, have already filed for re-election to their two at-large seats.

Trustees serve three-year terms.