The filing deadline is fast approaching for the 2023 Municipal Election. Candidates for Nemaha and Brown county positions have until noon Friday, June 1, to file for any of the open seats.

Locally, five seats on the Prairie Hills USD No. 113 Board of Education and three seats on the Sabetha City Commission are up for election this November.

On the USD No. 113 Board of Education, Positions One, Three, Four (unexpired term), Five and Seven are open.

Position One includes the part of the school district located in Hamlin, Morrill and Walnut townships in Brown County, and Berwick Township in Nemaha County. Position One currently is held by James Scoby, and he has re-filed for the position.

Position Three includes the part of the school district lying within the city limits of Sabetha, beginning at the west city limit on Main Street, then east on Main Street to Old Highway 75, then southerly and westerly following the city limits to the place of beginning. Position Three currently is held by Kathy Lippert, and she has not re-filed for the position as of Friday, May 12.

Position Four is an unexpired term. The positions includes the area south of Highway 36. Anissa Bloom resigned from this position in March 2023. No one has filed for this position as of Friday, May 12.

Position Five includes the part of the school district in Nemaha County, beginning at the northwest corner of Section 2-12-1, then south three miles, then east two miles, then south 2-1/2 miles to the district boundaries — thus including all property located in Washington, Gilman, Rock Creek and Adams townships, which is within the school district, excluding the City of Sabetha. Position Five currently is held by Leslie Scoby. L. Scoby has not re-filed for election as of Friday, May 12. However, Todd Grimes has filed for this position.

Position Seven is the board’s at-large member and can be any person residing with the school district. Position Seven currently is held by Sabetha resident Kent Saylor, and he has not re-filed for the position as of Friday, May 12.

On the Sabetha City Commission, three positions are open — Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, currently held by Nick Aberle; Commissioner of Utilities, currently held by Norman Schmitt; and Commissioner of Streets, currently held by Julie Lancaster-Burenheide. Aberle is the only commissioner who has re-filed for his position.

Other cities and open positions in the readership area include the following: City of Bern, three council members; City of Goff, mayor and five council members; City of Oneida, mayor and five council members; City of Wetmore, mayor and five council members; City of Seneca, mayor, treasurer and three council members; City of Morrill, mayor and five council members; and City of Fairview, three council members.

Other school board positions open in the readership area include the following: Nemaha Central USD No. 115, Positions One, Three, Five and Seven; and Hiawatha USD No. 415, Positions One, Two, Three and Seven.

Anyone with questions concerning the filing or voting process should contact the Nemaha County Clerk’s office at 785-336-2170, or the Brown County Clerk’s Office at 785-742-2581.

Disorganization Petition

The USD No. 113 Disorganization Petition, which has been circulating around the district, has not been submitted as of Friday, May 12. The Herald reached out to the Nemaha County Election Office to ask when this petition needed to be submitted by if it were to go on the primary ballot. According to the DeAnn Koch and Mary Kay Schultejans, the legal statute is unclear as to when it would need to be submitted, however, in order for them to meet other election deadlines, they said they would need to have the petition by Thursday, June 1.

As for when the question might be on an election ballot if in fact it does get submitted, Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert said since the legal statute has no frames or deadlines, the “County Election Officer has a great deal of latitude when scheduling such an election.”

“Mary Kay [Schultejans, Nemaha County Clerk/Election Officer] has indicated that she would prefer to place the question on the ballot during a regularly scheduled election as opposed to having an election on this question alone, as the county would incur significant expense under the latter scenario,” Lippert said. “For this same reason, Mary Kay [Schultejans] has also advised that if no primary election is necessary, she would likely move the question to the general election even if a petition is submitted prior to June 1.”

Important Dates

June 1 – Filing Deadline for municipal offices

July 11 – Last day to register to vote for the Primary Election

July 12 – First day advance voting ballots are mailed and first day of in-person advance voting (if testing is complete)

August 1 – Primary Election, if needed. Primary elections are only held if three or more candidates file for the same position.

October 17 – Last day to register to vote for the General Election

October 18 – First day advance voting ballots are mailed and first day of in-person advance voting (if testing is complete)

November 7 – General Election