This past Tuesday May 1 was the first day of registration for October’s municipal elections. Anyone wishing to run for council has until 2 p.m. on Friday July 27 to file nomination papers.

This year’s registration period is shorter than it’s been in year’s past after the province made some changes to the Municipal Elections Act last year. Another change was a requirement for candidates to gather 25 nomination signatures before they are able to run a regulation that had been in place in Ontario at one time.

Each of Haliburton County’s four lower-tier municipalities will be keeping updated unofficial candidates lists on their websites so residents can see who is running for which position. Any residents considering or wishing to run for council can find information and forms on their lower-tier municipality’s website or by contacting the municipal offices.

As of press time Lisa Schell a Ward 1 councillor in Minden Hills for the past 12 years had filed papers to run as deputy mayor and Ron Nesbitt Minden Hills councillor-at-large had filed papers to retain his position.