Ballots for local city elections mailed out late this week

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect properly spelled names, dates and contested elections.

Ballots in the upcoming city elections will be mailed to voters this week, with all but three races in the area uncontested.

The Havre Daily News will have profile stories on the contested races in upcoming editions of the paper.

All ballots will need to be mailed or returned in person to the County Clerk and Recorders Office in the County Courthouse by Nov. 7.

The ballots for the Chinook election will be mailed out Thursday and mailed Friday for Havre.

In Havre, Mayor Tim Solomon is unopposed in his bid for a third term.

City Judge Virginia Seigel will be the only name on the ballot in her bid for a second term. Initially Jodi Kueffler filled shortly before the June 19 deadline to get on the ballot, but withdrew from the race in August.

Five of the eight seats on the Havre City Council are on the ballot, but most are in uncontested races.

Terry Lilletvedt will not have a challenger as she seeks a second term representing Ward 1.

Council members Karen Swenson and Denise Brewer, both of Ward 2, are unopposed in their races to retain their respective seats. Swenson was appointed last year to finish the term of Janet Trethewey. Brewer, who was appointed in June, is running to complete the last two years of the term of Brian Barrows. Barrows resigned from the Council in February.

Lindsey Ratliff and Marc Whitacre will face off for the Ward 3 seat held by Jay Pyette. Pyette did not file to run for re-election.

Ward 4 will see a three-way race between Sarah McKinney, Will Lorett and Lorraine Pester for the seat held by Matthew Boucher. Boucher did not to file for re-election.

Havre voters will decide whether to approve a proposed mill levy increase to fund a program to improve the city streets. If the levy increase is approved, it is expected to generate $15 million over 20 years, or $750,000 annually.

The increase would cost property owners within city limits with a property with a taxable value of $100,000 an additional $89.50 a year and properties valued at $200,000 an additional $179.

In Chinook, the race for Ward 2 has incumbent Mitch Haider facing challenger James Hodgson. Incumbents Robert Lee Smith, running for a full term, and Meredy Phares, running to complete the term for the seat to which she was appointed, are unopposed, as is Mayor Keith Hanson.

The other local elections have no contested races and the candidates will be elected by acclamation with no ballots mailed out.

In Hingham Mayor Ray Lipp and council members Roger Haas and Dillon Lipp are running unchallenged.

Two Harlem City Council members, Ralph Schneider in Ward 1 and Eva English in Ward 2, are running unopposed.

Big Sandy Mayor Stephen Stiles faces no opposition and Both Ward 2 candidates on the Big Sandy City Council are unopposed. Incumbent Colby Baumgarn filed for a full term, while Darin Rayfiled to complete a two-year term in Ward 1.

In Chester, town council members Shane Kenfield in Ward 1 and Wendy Dauwalder in Ward 2 and Tonia Wickman in Ward 3 are unopposed in their bids for re-election.