Candidates for government offices in small towns throughout Warren County, such as commissioner and mayor, have until Aug. 12 to file.

But in some small towns, it’s a struggle to find candidates, much less have competitive elections.

“That is a problem,” Woodburn Mayor Joe Wheet said. “It don’t pay much. It’s a pretty thankless job, to tell you the truth about it.”

Only one person, Louise Ferguson, has filed to run for one of four Woodburn City Commission seats so far. No one has filed to run for mayor.

Wheet, who is in his eighth year as mayor and served as a city commissioner beginning in 1985, said he’s never come across a situation where not enough people have filed to run for open spots. Normally, the races draw “just enough” people.

“Very seldom do we have any extras to run,” he said.

Wheet said he’s not ready to commit to running for re-election as the Woodburn mayor, though there are some issues he’d still like to address. 

Elections for city governing bodies and mayors are set this year in Smiths Grove, Oakland, Plum Springs and Woodburn, Warren County Deputy Clerk Mallye Schultz said.

Commissioners are elected every two years and mayors every four years. All candidates must be registered voters living in the city limits of the town in which they run.

In the city of Smiths Grove, three people – Porter Martin, Jessie F. Varner and Terry Pierce – have filed to run for seats on the four-person city commission.

Smiths Grove incumbent Mayor Bert E. Higginbotham has no competition so far. 

Higginbotham said that Smiths Grove traditionally hasn’t had trouble finding enough people to run for office.

He plans to seek re-election because he enjoys his job and has projects, such as surveying and improving the cemetery in Smiths Grove, that he wants to continue to pursue.

In city commission meetings, Higginbotham said he encourages everyone to voice their opinions and to put any agendas out into the open.

“We have a real good working relationship, all five of us,” he said.

In Plum Springs, Mayor William Steve Roberts has filed for re-election and three people – Rosa Cowles, Jennifer Cowles and Richard P. Geraghty – have filed to run for city commissioner.

There have been no filings so far in Oakland, and Mayor Billy Mansfield said he does not intend to run for re-election.

— Follow government reporter Katie Brandenburg on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNgovtbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.