Payson Roundup | Payson, AZ

A number of special district boards must be getting it right, since no one filed to throw incumbents out.

That means before voters have a say, those elections are already decided.

The Gila County Department of Elections doesn’t break out the ballot boxes if incumbents run unopposed. They also don’t hold an election if only one person puts in a petition for an open seat.

It saves the county both money and time.

Linda Eastlick, director of county elections, said whenever a board member runs unopposed, the election for that seat is canceled and the board member is automatically appointed.

This results in significant cost savings for the fire, sanitary, water, wastewater and school districts. However, if multiple candidates file for a seat, it appears on the general election ballot and the district bears the cost of the election.

In Northern Gila County, hardly any of the special districts will appear on the general election ballot due to a lack of candidates.

Those districts that still have a race going for the Nov. 6 general election include, Christopher-Kohl’s, Hellsgate and Whispering Pines Fire Districts, Beaver Valley Water Improvement District, Northern Gila County Sanitary District, Strawberry Hollow Wastewater Improvement District and the Payson Unified School District.

The Roundup will report on those races in future stories.

However, many districts won’t have an election at all, including all of the districts listed at right. In the list, the newcomers to the board will be bold-faced. Early voting for the general election starts Oct. 11.

Beaver Valley Fire District:

Jack “Ned” Jolly and Lee Wright

East Verde Park Fire District:

Mary Louise Cambier, Bobbie Pierce and Paulette Weaver

Gisela Valley Fire District:

George Demack, Samual “Gene” Sawyer and Ed Trimblay

Houston Mesa Fire District:

Randall Norman and Jeanne Schoonover

Pine-Strawberry Fire District:

Melvin Palmer, Dave Prechtal and Thomas Weeks

Pleasant Valley Fire District:

David Braswell and Patrick Hosman

Round Valley/Oxbow Estates Fire District:

Teri Peterson

Tonto Basin Fire District:

Brian Jennings and George McMinimy

Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District:

Richard Dickinson, Gary Lovetro, Sam Schwalm and Thomas Weeks

Pine Water Association Domestic Water Improvement District:

Maurine Heisdorffer and Sally Randall

Rim Trail Domestic Water Improvement District:

J.P. “Buddy” Rice

Solitude Trails Domestic Water Improvement District:

Mark Fumusa

Strawberry Hollow Domestic Water Improvement District:

Diane Peterson

Tonto Village Domestic Water Improvement District:

Jerry Lewinson, Roxanne Martin and Linda Stailey

Whispering Pines Domestic Water Improvement District:

James Abbott, Robert Hull and Evelyn Wilkerson

Tonto Basin School District:

Dottie France