MAYVILLE - Westfield and Forestville headline opposed mayoral races for the 13 of the 15 Chautauqua County villages holding March village elections this year for mayors, trustees and justices.
Mayville has no candidates up for election this year, and Celoron conducts its village elections in November, according to Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioners Norman P. Green and Brian C. Abram.
A total of 49 different candidates will be vying for elective office for 35 different offices in the county village elections. Nineteen village offices will find no opponents for the candidates seeking election.
This year, Falconer and Fredonia will have ballot propositions asking voters for permission to move village elections to November as of 2015, so as to eliminate the village's budgeted election costs. Such a move will also cause a change in each village's fiscal year.
Due to its unique village charter, Fredonia village elections will be Monday, March 11 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the rest of the county's villages will run elections on Tuesday, March 19 from noon to 9 p.m. The Board of Elections runs all county village elections except for Cassadaga and Sinclairville, where the village clerks act as the chief election officers.
Sample ballots and a list of all candidates running for office in the village elections is available at www.votechautauqua.com.
Fact Box
| Village of Brocton election Tuesday, March 19 | |||
| Brocton Village Trustee, vote for two | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| Gary | Planty | Brocton | Democratic, Concord |
| Arthur | Donovan | Portland | Democratic, Concord |
| Nicholas | Rizzo III | Brocton | Republican |
| Village of Panama election Tuesday, March 19 | |||
| Panama Village Trustee, vote for one | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| Gregory | Ireland | Panama | Taxpayers |
| Village of Sherman election Tuesday, March 19 | |||
| Sherman Village Mayor, vote for one | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| John | Patterson, Jr. | Sherman | Peoples |
| Sherman Village Trustee, vote for two | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| Donna | Higginbotham | Sherman | Citizens First |
| William | Wiggers | Sherman | Peoples |
| Brett | Cook | Sherman | Peoples |
| Village of Westfield election Tuesday, March 19 | |||
| Westfield Village Mayor, vote for one | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| Michael | VandeVelde | Westfield | Democratic, Westfield First |
| David | Carr | Westfield | Republican, Concord |
| Westfield Village Trustee, vote for two | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| Robert | Cochran | Westfield | Democratic, Westfield First |
| Debra | Puckhaber | Westfield | Democratic, Westfield First |
| Tom | Rackowski | Westfield | Republican, Concord |
| Chris | Jaynes | Westfield | Republican, Concord |
| Westfield Village Justice, vote for one | |||
| First name | Last name | City | Endorsing parties |
| Jeffrey | Thomas | Westfield | Democratic, Westfield First |