Residents of cities and towns will be picking their leaders for the next four years in the coming months.
Just two months after the last election, the filing period kicks off next week for those who wish to become mayor of Franklin or Greenwood, snag a seat on a city or town council or lead one of two city courts as judge. Also up for election this year are clerks and treasurers.
Only residents who live within a city or town will vote this year. Candidates will be on the ballot in races in Franklin, Greenwood, Whiteland, New Whiteland, Bargersville, Edinburgh, Prince’s Lakes and Trafalgar. Residents who live in unincorporated areas, such as much of White River Township, will not vote.
All candidates hoping to run for office can pick up an application at the county’s voter registration office, which is located in the basement of the Johnson County Courthouse in Franklin.
Republican and Democrat candidates have to file to seek office between Jan. 9 and noon Feb. 8, said Reagan Higdon, chief deputy clerk. The parties will select their candidates in the primary election on May 7.
The mayors of Franklin and Greenwood intend to seek re-election.
Republican Steve Barnett is hoping to be elected to his first full term as mayor. The party named him as mayor two years ago when former Mayor Joe McGuinness left to become the director of the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Greenwood mayor Mark Myers’s seat is also up for election. Myers is wrapping up his second term in office. During his tenure, he has pushed for more money to be directed to public safety, a re-energized and walk-able downtown, and helped establish a riverfront district this year, which he hopes will attract more bars and restaurants. Greenwood has grown by about 6,000 people since 2011.
All the seats on the city council in both communities are on the ballot.
Seven seats are available on the Franklin City Council, including two at-large seats, and nine seats will be on the ballot for the Greenwood City Council.
Any resident who wants to seek office as an independent candidate has until July 1 to file to be on the ballot in November. Those candidates face different requirements than major party candidates, Higdon said.
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Here is a look at which seats are up for election in 2019. All of them have four-year terms:
Bargersville
Clerk-treasurer
Town council, at-large, 3 seats
Edinburgh
Clerk-treasurer
Town council, at-large, 3 seats
Franklin
Mayor
Clerk-treasurer
City court judge
City council, district 1, district 2, district 3, district 4, district 5, two at-large seats
Greenwood
Mayor
Clerk
City court judge
City council, district 1, district 2, district 3, district 4, district 5, district 6, three at-large seats
New Whiteland
Clerk-treasurer
Town council, ward 1, ward 3, ward 4
Prince’s Lakes
Clerk-treasurer
Town council, at-large, 5 seats
Trafalgar
Clerk-treasurer
Town council, at-large, 5 seats
Whiteland
Clerk-treasurer
Town council, ward 1, ward 2, ward 3; two at-large seats
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Here is a look at the filing window for all open seats on the ballots this election:
Major party candidates can file between Jan. 9 and Feb. 8;
Independent candidates can file between Jan. 9 and July 1
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