4 file for city commission

Four candidates have filed for three Fort Scott City Commission spots -- including two incumbents.

Commissioner Samuel I. Mason and Mayor Jim Adams have filed, as have newcomers Lucas B. Cosens Sr. and Jolynne Stainbrook.

The general election will be held Tuesday, April 2. The top two vote-getters will earn four-year terms and the third-place finisher will receive a two-year term.

Incumbent Jeanie Parker has another open seat, but did not file. She has served on the five-member panel since 2009. Parker is finishing a two-year term, while Adams and Mason are completing four-year tenures.

The other open seats on the commission are current.

Adams was first elected in 2007.

The top two vote-getters this spring will be awarded four-year terms on the commission, while the third-place finisher will earn a two-year term.

All the seats are at-large positions and terms are staggered so not every commissioner is up for election at the same time. City Clerk Diane Clay said at the second meeting in April, commissioners will reorganize, nominate a member for mayor and take a vote. The panel will also choose members for various boards such as the Bourbon County Economic Development Council and the Fort Scott Housing Authority.