(7/30) Two seats on the Emmitsburg Town Board of Commissioners will be up for election on September 25. The two seats that will become vacant are those presently occupied by Commissioners Tim O’Donnell and Clifford Sweeney. Both of the positions up for election are three-year terms, with a compensation of $4,000 annually. Candidates wishing to be listed on the printed election ballot must file before August 27 at 4 p.m., and individuals interested in becoming write-in candidates must file prior to September 18 at noon.

Three years ago, Commissioners O’Donnell and Sweeney ran unopposed in the election. Of the 1,692 registered voters in Emmitsburg, only 38, or 2% turned out for the election, the lowest turnout for any election since the founding of Emmitsburg in 1825. During last year’s election, with one Commissioner seat up for election and Mayor Don Briggs’ seat open, only 118 votes were cast. This number only represented 7% of the 1,754 registered voters in Emmitsburg.

Commissioner O’Donnell currently serves as the President of the Board of Commissioners and has served on the board for nine years now. He is currently in his third term, and will be running for a fourth term in the upcoming election. Throughout his terms thus far, he has been a strong advocate and liaison for Emmitsburg’s multi-user trail system, organizing trail clean-up days and advocating for additions to the trail system. When asked about his accomplishments in his current term and his goals, if elected, in his next term, O’Donnell failed to respond.

Commissioner Sweeney currently serves as the Vice President of the Board. Sweeney has served on the board for twenty years, beginning back in 1996, making him the longest serving member of the current Council. Sweeney will be running for his seat again, and if elected will be entering his eighth term as Emmitsburg Commissioner. If elected, Sweeney said that he "would like to get the town finished side walk bridge trees square new water and sewer replacements were needed more public parking try to get some mew businesses to come to town and trying to get our developments finished it will be a busy new terminology very excited can't wait to continue serving the citizens of Emmitsburg an 8th term."

Both Sweeney and O’Donnell intend on running again for their seat. As of the issuance of this edition, no other candidates have filed to run against them. Individuals interested in running for one of the open commissioners’ seats can do so by filing their candidacy papers, available at the town offices. All candidates will be provided free space in this paper to introduce themselves, and their goals, to Emmitsburg voters.