BUCKHANNON – Are you ready to run?

The first day to file for office to become Buckhannon’s next mayor or one of its seven city council members is Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in City Hall, and the last day to fill out the paperwork is Jan. 27, 2024.

At Buckhannon City Council’s meeting Thursday, council reviewed a ‘Call for Election’ for four seats – one for mayor and three for city council members-at-large. All four positions serve a four-year term.

City finance and administrative director Amberle Jenkins said the municipal election would occur on the same day as West Virginia’s May 14, 2024, Primary Election.

“There is an election for the city, and we always combine our election with the county,” Jenkins said. “The election is for mayor and three council seats.”

In addition to his seat, Mayor Robbie Skinner said the seats currently filled by Councilman CJ Rylands, Councilman Jack Reger and Councilwoman Pam Bucklew will be on the ballot in May 2024.

Jenkins noted that the Charles W. Gibson Library levy – which has historically passed overwhelmingly – won’t be up for a vote until November 2024.

“We’re going to play a timing game here a little bit,” she said. “The library levy expires on June 30, 2026, so we’re going to hold off doing the library levy until this November [2024], and then we’ll call for that five-year levy, and it’ll run from July of ‘26 to 2030, so I just wanted to let you know about the timing of this.”

City Recorder Randy Sanders asked what would happen if it failed in May of 2024, and Skinner said the city would have one more chance – in May of 2026 – to run the library levy before it would expire on June 30, 2026.

“It has consistently always been supported,” the mayor added.

In-person filing at City Hall will take place between 9 a.m. and noon from Jan. 8-24, 2024.

The last day to withdraw from the election is Tuesday, Feb. 13 ahead of Feb. 20, 2024 – the day the drawing for positions on the ballot will take place at 9 a.m. at the Upshur County Courthouse.

There are four city precincts, with two located at Buckhannon Academy Elementary School (Precinct 8 and 14), a third located at City Hall at 70 East Main Street (Precinct 9) and the fourth at the Fred W. Eberle Technical Center (Precinct 13).

Sanders advised city residents make sure they are registered – and vote – in the correct precinct.