VIENNA — Filing closed Dec. 30 for the April 7, 2026, municipal elections, and since opening day candidates have declared for open seats on local boards.

At the Maries County R-2 School District, three open seats on the Board of Education are available, currently held by Garret Bialczyk, Ashley Harris and Dawn Hicks.

Bialczyk filed at 12:05 p.m. on Dec. 9; Hicks filed at 4:21 p.m. on Dec. 11; Harris filed to retain her seat at 8:29 a.m. on Dec. 18 at the Administration Building.

In Bland, several city offices are on the April ballot. The Board of Aldermen announced that two full-term alderman seats, one one-year alderman seat and the mayor’s office will be open.

Bland City Hall accepted filings through 5 p.m. on Dec. 30, for their open positions.

Mayor Merrilee Spurgeon filed at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 18 to retain her mayoral seat.

Three at-large alderman seats are open this cycle, two for full two-year terms and one for a one-year term. Alderman Shari Morgan filed at 8 a.m on Dec. 15 to retain her two-year at-large seat. Matthew Dittman filed at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22 for a two-year alderman position and Alderman Joe Ridener is not up for re-election this year.

Belle saw four candidates file Dec. 9 in the morning hours and two more have filed since.

Steve Vogt filed at 8 a.m. on Dec. 9 for the Ward 2 alderman seat. Jeanette Struemph filed at 8 a.m. on Dec. 9 for the Ward 1 alderwoman seat. Mayor James (Pudd) Mitchell filed at 9:32 a.m. on Dec. 9 to seek another term, followed by Jerry Coborn, who filed at 9:45 a.m. on Dec. 9 for city marshall.

Steven Bedwell filed at 2:19 p.m. on Dec. 10 for the Ward 2 alderman seat. Tracey Creswell filed at 9 a.m. for the mayor seat.

In Vienna, Steve Maxwell filed at 9 a.m. on Dec. 29 for the three-year Freeburg area Ambulance Board seat for the Maries-Osage Ambulance District.

Ken Dixon was appointed to the alderman seat left vacant when Charles Davis resigned. According to Vienna City Clerk Tracy Shiver, Dixon filed late morning on Dec. 30 to run for the position.

The newly formed Maries County 911 Emergency Services Board also saw several filings ahead of the deadline.

For the Eastern District, Stephen R. Conrad filed at 3:08 p.m. on Dec. 9 for a two-year term, followed by Cindy Butler at 10:53 a.m. on Dec. 18 for a two-year term. Keith Kilmer filed at 10:59 on Dec. 18 for a four-year Eastern District term. In the Western District, Susan J. Sarette filed at 11:07 a.m. on Dec. 16, with Don Lanning filing at 11:10 a.m. Dec. 18 and Allan Pollreisz filing at 2:23 p.m. on Dec. 29, all for two-year terms, while Stephen Sinden filed at 11: 17 on Dec. 18 for a four-year Western District seat. Bonnie J. Prigge filed at 12:05 p.m. on Dec. 29 for the at-large board member position.

As of press time, these are all of the filings turned into The Advocate.