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Town conventions will be held in Mentone, North Webster and Silver Lake this month to determine the top three candidates in the town council races.
Towns with populations of less than 3,500 do not have to hold primary elections. Candidates had until noon Friday to file for office.
Each town has three seats available and four or more Republicans or four or more Democrats who have filed.
"Town conventions are held to choose the top three candidates for the fall election," said Mike Gavin, Kosciusko County GOP chairman. As the county chairman he will appoint a town chairman and secretary for each Republican convention.
The conventions have to be held by Aug. 20 with the date, time and place of the convention posted in three prominent places in each community, including the clerk-treasurer's office. The notices must be posted 72 hours (three days) prior to the event.
Each chairman will determine the voting method to use and the way to resolve tie votes, among other duties.
Each candidate will have five minutes to speak about their desire to hold office.
In Mentone, four Republicans and four Democrats have filed for three council seats, which means the Democrats will hold a convention there, too.
Steve Haines, the Democratic Party chairman, is happy with the task.
"I'm thrilled to be appointing a town chairman for a convention in Mentone," Haines said of the responsibility. "We have so many candidates in the towns. It's going to be fun, for a change, by golly."
Of course the Democratic chairman isn't completely satisfied.
"I would've liked candidates in Warsaw and Winona Lake, but that's the way it goes," he said.
In North Webster, eight Republicans, including the three incumbents, will attend the convention. There are also two Republican candidates for clerk-treasurer - the incumbent and a challenger.
In Silver Lake, there are seven Republicans to be sorted out during the convention. They will face three Democrats and one Independent in the fall election.
A party caucus will be called to determine the officeholder in several instances: between Republicans for the clerk-treasurer's office in Sidney and for the District 2 town council seat in Milford.
The clerk-treasurer candidates for the GOP in Mentone, North Webster and Silver Lake will be determined at the conventions.
