SKOWHEGAN — While it’s still early in the municipal election season — Town Meeting isn’t until June — Skowhegan town officials want to get the word out to registered voters that there are two seats open on the Board of Selectmen.

So far, Town Clerk Gail Pelotte said, no one has taken out nomination papers for the positions, and the incumbent selectmen — Darla Pickett and Soren Siren — have indicated they will not seek re-election.

“We’re not getting nervous,” Pelotte said. “We just want the public to know that here’s two positions, and right now, no one’s taken out papers.”

Town Manager Christine Almand added that she couldn’t recall a time when there were two seats open on the five-member board and no incumbents running.

Pelotte said last year there were open seats with no candidates for the board until word got out, and then there was a flurry of activity.

The term of office for each of the two seats is three years. Selectmen’s meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. The stipend is $1,200 a year, and $1,500 for the board chairman. Candidates must be 18 or older, registered voters and legal residents of Skowhegan.

Each candidate must get a minimum of 25 signatures on his or her nomination papers and submit them by 4:30 p.m. April 13 at the Town Office.

“We always like to tell them to get more than 25 signatures, just in case,” Pelotte said.

Elections are to be held by secret ballot on June 12, which also is the state primary election day in Maine and the day the school budgets may be presented to voters in a referendum.

Also on the Skowhegan election ballot in June are the positions of road commissioner, town clerk, town treasurer, four school board seats and one assessor. Almand said all the incumbents have submitted the necessary papers to stand for re-election.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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