Four Democrats filed Monday for the three seats up for grabs this year on the five-person Person Board of County Commissioners. On Tuesday, one of the three incumbents, Jimmy B. Clayton, filed for re-election in the afternoon.

Clayton is completing his second four-year term on the county board. Fellow incumbent Larry Yarborough has indicated he has yet to make a decision on another term, while Larry Bowes has said he likely will not seek a second term on the board.

On Monday, former Commissioner Sam Winstead, 82, filed his intentions to seek a spot on the board, as did Mike Barrett, 46, who said he was stepping down as chairman of the Person County Democratic Party to campaign for commissioner.

Others filing for a spot on the board of commissioners Monday included political newcomers David Brooks, 50, and Ray Jeffers, 24.

Mandy Garrett, 58, also filed Monday in her bid to gain a fifth straight four-year term as the county’s register of deeds.

The filing period will continue through noon Friday, Feb. 29.

Winstead, who served as a commissioner in the 1980s, has been active in opposing the proposed expansion of the Upper Piedmont Environmental Landfill and in that connection helped form Person County People Rising in Defense of the Ecology (PRIDE) three years ago to fight the effort.

In a filing statement, Winstead, said, “I have concerns about our county’s spending. Since I served on the board in 1980, our spending has more than doubled the rate of inflation. We had a 7.5 percent tax increase last year, and our financial adviser pointed out we would need another 7.0 percent increase this year.”

He added, “Black History Month is reminding us what democracy is all about. Dr. Martin Luther King will go down in history as one of our greatest of the 20th century. Dr. King never proposed that anyone get a free ride but that we all ride together in dignity with the same opportunity to achieve.”

Winstead said he would “focus on the issues that are basic to any governing body — the environment, education, law enforcement and health.” >>

Concluding, he said, “We are fortunate to have a county tax base that is far above average; we must protect this structure to the extent it will be attractive to new business.”

Barrett, a Person High School teacher, said his reasons for running “in a nutshell” are “education, environment and our economy.”

He continued, “Everyday I am in the trenches trying to improve the futures of the young people of Person County. As commissioner, I hope to bring that same care and commitment to serving the county as a whole.

“My goals as commissioner are to help straighten out the school system’s budget situation, ensure that we have as clean an environment as possible, and to improve our economic development so as to provide better employment opportunities for the working citizens of Person County,” Barrett added.

Brooks, a carpenter said the two things that most prompted his decision to enter the race for the board of commissioners was “the deal in the east side of the county with the landfill and in the northern part of the county with the Sunrock gravel plant.”

Brooks lives near the Sunrock facility and has spoken in opposition to the plant at prior meetings of commissioners.

“The reason I am doing this is because I have always believed that you are either part of the problem or part of the solution,” Brooks said. “I believe Person County has some big problems, and I think I am a good person to help solve them.”

Jeffers, who operates a breeding and training kennel for German Shepherd dogs, which are sold to police departments and persons in the private sector, said the recent landfill issue, along with recreation alternatives for youth, were his main reasons for seeking a spot on the board of commissioners.

“The landfill should be simple to any county commissioner,” Jeffers said. “The citizens have spoken and said they do not want this. They are the people who elected them, but they are not listening. Durham should take care of Durham and Person County should do what’s best for Person County.

“Recreation is one of the biggest problems in the county,” Jeffers added. “…There is a big need for a recreation facility and public pool in this county, but top on our list to build is a wildlife education center at Mayo Park, 10 miles out of town. We just built an amphitheater at Mayo.

“I think it’s now time to concentrate money on other things in recreation such as a solution to the lack of gym space in the county,” Jeffers continued.

The filing period also opened Monday for one of the two District Court judgeships in District 9A, as well as for seats in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate.

Rep. W.A. (Winkie) Wilkins, D-Person, has indicated he will seek a third consecutive two-year term in the N.C. House of Representatives. Wilkins serves all of Person County and northern Durham County.

Incumbent state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, filed in Hillsborough Monday to seek reelection to a seventh term. She serves the 23rd Senate District, which is made up of Orange and Person counties.

Moses Carey of Chapel Hill, a veteran member and chairman of the Orange Board of County Commissioners, who also filed Monday, opposes Kinnaird for the Democratic nomination. Carey announced last July that he would seek the Senate seat.

After filing Monday, Kinnaird said she had been “privileged and honored to serve Orange and Person counties” and that she hoped to continue.

Alluding to her support of measures to strengthen the state’s electoral process through campaign reform laws that require transparency, attempt to reduce influence of special interests and expand public campaign financing, Kinnaird said she was “particularly proud of the very strong voter guarantees we have gotten into North Carolina law to require a verifiable paper ballot with all voting machines and the same-day registration legislation to improve voter participation.”

As vice chair of the Senate committee that handles environmental legislation, she said, “I initially went to the Senate to provide a strong environmental voice and I have fulfilled that goal. But there is still much to do. Global warming is a threat to North Carolina. This year’s drought shows that we must work regionally to protect our water resources.”

A supporter of education at all levels, Kinnaird specifically observed Monday, “Our community colleges need adequate funding to drive the economic engine of our state.”

Pertaining to economic issues, Kinnaird said, “Because of my leadership, we passed the minimum wage [increase] and a refundable earned income tax for our working poor. Their children also now have health insurance coverage because of my work in the Senate.”

District Court Judge Mike Gentry is also expected to run again for a District 9-A judgeship, which covers Person and Caswell counties. Judicial candidates must file with the State Board of Elections in Raleigh.