Voters given a choice for mayor

Voters in Libby and Troy will have a choice to make in November's mayoral elections, but no competitive races are on tap for council seats in either city.

In Libby, incumbent Mayor Tony Berget is being challenged by William Dancer. Berget has been mayor since 1997 and is seeking a third term. Dancer operates White Mountain Mortgage in Libby.

Councilmen Don Banning and Jim Hammons have filed as candidates for mayor in Troy. Mayor John Brown's term was scheduled to expire this year, but on June 8 Brown announced his resignation effective July 12, five years to the day from his appointment by the city council. He was elected to a four-year term in 2001.

Banning was appointed to the council in 2001 when Brown became mayor and was elected to a four-year term in 2001. Hammons was elected to the council in 2003. He had previously been appointed to the council prior to being elected to a full four-year term in 1993. He did not seek re-election in 1997.

Three incumbent Libby council members are seeking election to four-year terms without opposition. They are Charlene Leckrone, who was initially appointed in September 2002 and won election to the two years left on the term in 2003; Wally McElmurry, who was appointed to the council in June 2003, lost his seat in the election that November and was appointed to fill another vacancy in early 2004; and Lee Bothman, who was appointed in September 2003.

Two council seats, currently held by Banning and Laura Schrader, expire this year in Troy. Schrader has filed for re-election, and the only other candidate to file is Larry Baker, owner of Odie's Big Sky Cafe. Schrader was initially appointed to the council and was elected to four-year terms in 1993, 1997 and 2001.

Filing for candidates closed on June 30.