By David Peck

As candidates bear down on the August 17 Primary Election, filing opens next Wednesday for those seeking election to special districts – school boards, hospital boards, senior citizens district boards and the like – that will be elected at the General Election on Nov. 2.

Filing for the special district boards opens Aug. 4 and continues through Aug. 23.

Big Horn County School District No. 1 faces the unusual circumstance of having six of its seven trustees up for election in November, according to district secretary Genevieve Mann. With Russ Boardman being appointed to the Deaver-Frannie seat to which George Estes was elected following Estes’ stroke and Brett Crosby being appointed to the seat left vacant when Nick Wilson moved, both seats come open in the next election, joining four seats that normally expire at the end of 2010.

Seats coming open include the Burlington seat occupied by Paul Rasmussen, the Cowley seat occupied to Chairman of the Board Dave Monk and at large seats occupied by Koleen Sponsel and Ron McArthur. The only trustee not up for re-election is Ed Riding, who occupies the Byron seat on the school board.

Three seats are coming open on the School District No. 2 board of trustees, seats held by Chairwoman Judy Richards, Bruce Jolley and Marianne Grant.

Applications may be picked up at each district office or at the county clerk’s office in Basin.

There are four North Big Horn Hospital District board of trustees seats open for election this year: the Byron-Cowley trustee seat held by Brett Crosby, the Deaver-Frannie trustee seat held by Patrick Ballinger Sr., and the at large seats occupied by Bruce Wacker and Linda NeVille.

Applications may be obtained from administrative secretary Cindy Werner at the hospital or from the clerk’s office.

All five members of the North Big Horn Senior Citizen Service District board of directors are up for re-election this year: Agnes Haskins, Barbara Walker, Ron McClure, Loretta Tippetts and Dueane Calvin, Senior Center Director Denise Andersen said.

Also up for election are cemetery district, fire district and other special district boards.