NEW: PETITIONS DUE FRIDAY; APRIL 12 ELECTION ON TAP

Petitions aren’t due until the end of the day Friday, Feb. 25 so the full picture isn’t yet fully clear, but it appears there will be an April 12 election for both Ward 2 in the city of Freeman and for a three-year term on the Menno School Board of Education.

According to the city finance office, petitions have been turned in by both Ward 2 incumbent Steve “Charly” Waltner and Terry Waterman, a challenger who lost his bid for mayor to Michael Walter two years ago.

Charles Gering has also turned in a petition for re-election in Ward 1. Other vacancies are seats currently held by Walter (mayor) and Terry Jacobsen and Tabitha Schoenwald (Ward 3). As of Tuesday afternoon, none had turned in their petition.

As for the school board election in Menno, business manager Dale Weiss said both Molly Huber and Tim Prior have turned in petitions for the two-year term. Incumbent Brent Rames and Kathlene Wollmann have also both turned in petitions for two three-year terms. Incumbents Jill Haberman and Barry Schmidt had not submitted petitions as of Tuesday afternoon.

For Freeman School Board, business manager Debbie Goossen said Tuesday afternoon that Cody Spangler’s petition was the only one that had been turned in. Two terms on the school board are expiring — seats held by Slade Ammann and Kyle Weier.

And for city of Menno, Jerry Fischer in Ward 2 and George Cokens in Ward 3 — both incumbents — had turned in petitions as of Tuesday afternoon, according to business manager Lisa Edelman. Other vacancies include seats held by Darrell Mehlhaf (mayor), Scott Simonsen (Ward 1) and John Huber (Ward 3).