Shepherdstown’s 2010 municipal election season kicked off this past week as the candidate filing period opened on Monday, March 1. Already, two local politicos have joined the race. Incumbent town recorder Lori Robertson filed for re-election and resident businessman Bane Schill filed to run for a Town Council seat.

Robertson, a resident of S. Princess Street, says she’s running again because she likes municipal politics. “I think we’ve done some good things in the last two years,” said Robertson in a phone interview on Monday. She also highlighted her work with the Jefferson County Commission to create a soon-to-be constructed bicycle path connecting Shepherdstown to Morgan’s Grove Park on Route 480. “I’d really like to see the bike path get done,” said Robertson.

The town recorder is a voting member of the Town Council but is primarily responsible for recording the minutes of the Town Council meetings and overseeing the municipal elections. In many ways the recorder is the mayor’s right-hand-(in this case)-woman. In the absence of the mayor, the recorder can conduct Town Council meetings. The recorder is elected by simple majority.

Schill, a W. German Street retailer (owner of D’accord Boutique) and resident, is pursuing one of the five at-large Town Council seats. He laughs as he says that he doesn’t really have a platform. “I just wanna do what needs to be done, whatever that may be as situations may arise,” said Schill in an interview on Monday.

“I don’t have any axes to grind, is what I’m trying to say,” he then pauses for a second and lets out another laugh and continues “…at least not yet, that could change next week.”

Schill is an active participant in municipal civic affairs, currently holding seats on Shepherdstown’s Tree Commission and Planning Commission. He also frequently attends Town Council meetings.

All the Town Council seats are at-large, filled by the five Town Council candidates who receive the most votes in the election.

Earlier in the week the Shepherdstown Chronicle dispatched emails to all incumbent municipal elected officials asking if they plan on running for re-election this year. By the afternoon of Wednesday, March 3, only councilman Jim Ford had replied, saying that he was unable to file for election this year because he is out of town until March 15, three days after the municipal candidate filing period closes. Councilmen Tom Martin and Howard Mills were asked at this weeks municipal finance committee meeting if they plan on running again. Both declined to comment.

Mayor Jim Auxer has said that he plans on running for re-election, however by press time he had not filed with the town clerk.

The municipal candidate filing period closes next Friday, March 12 at 5 p.m. Shepherdstown’s municipal election is under four months away, on Tuesday, June 1.