Seven of the 10 villages in Delaware County will have a slate of candidates to choose from when they elect a mayor on March 18.
The bevy of candidates is a change from the past, when there were often only one or two names on a ballot.
Walton has the largest group of candidates, with four people vying for mayor, while Hobart and Deposit each have three candidates. Delhi, Margaretville, Stamford and Hancock have two candidates each.
Michele Griffin, Delhi village clerk and a Walton resident, said she suspects the large slate may be the result of the changing economy.
"People are concerned about what they are paying in taxes and how the money is being spent," Griffin said Wednesday.
Hobart Village Clerk Virginia Brockway said she believes the increased interest in local elected positions is an extension of a national trend.
"It's all about change," Brockway said. "Change is all we have heard about in recent months, and I guess people want change locally."
Deposit, Fleischmanns, Margaretville, Hancock and Walton will all be electing new mayors because the incumbent mayors in those villages opted not to seek re-election.
There are also trustee races in six villages.
The villages and the candidates include:
ä Delhi _ Mayoral candidates include incumbent David Truscott and Richard Maxey. Trustee incumbents Greg Krzyston and Kevin Lee and newcomer Jim Robbins are vying for two seats.
ä Deposit (where the election is held March 3) _ Mayoral candidates include John O'Connor, Dean Price and Larraine Khawaja. Trustee candidates are Harry Warner in the town of Deposit and Dorot Sollecito in the town of Sanford.
ä Fleischmanns _ Mayoral candidate is David Morrell, trustee candidates are incumbents Harriet Grossman and Martin Morales, who are vying against Todd Pascarella for two seats.
ä Franklin _ Information was not available.
ä Hancock _ Mayoral candidates are Celia Vazquez and John Martin and trustee candidates include newcomers Brad Esolen, Dorothy Picozzi, William Schoonmaker and Joseph Doran.
ä Hobart _ Incumbent Mayor Kenneth H. Brockway is facing a challenge from Gordon Key and Aaron Kaufman. Trustee candidates are incumbents Don Dales and William Webb and newcomers Joseph Roufe, James Barr III and William Palmer, vying for two seats.
ä Margaretville _ Mayoral candidates include Carol O'Beirne and John VanBenschoten. Trustee candidates are incumbent Iris Mead and newcomer Wallace Patterson.
ä Sidney _ The mayor is not up, but the trustee candidates include incumbent Gregory Hitchcock vying against James Bureau and Steven Crawford for two seats. Steven Rose is seeking the village justice seat.
ä Stamford _ Incumbent Mayor Ann Slatin is being challenged by Michael Jacobs, and incumbent trustees Bruce Velan and Joan Hinman are unopposed for their seats.
ä Walton _ Kenneth Landry, Ray Baldi, Roland Beers and Terri Green are seeking the mayor's seat while incumbent Teresa O'Leary is vying with newcomers Dorothy Closs, Denise Church and Jennifer David for two seats. No one filed a petition to run for village justice.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
