Among Dufferin's five townships, Amaranth appears to have the most hotly contested seats for the Nov. 13 municipal election.

Amaranth has the only three-way race for the mayor's position, a twoway race for what some see as "a grudge match" for

deputy mayor, and a field of seven vying for the remaining three council seats.

This contrasts with the neighbouring townships of East Garafraxa and East Luther Grand Valley (ELGV), where the mayors and deputy mayors have

all been acclaimed to fouryear terms. ELGV has a field of six running for three council seats, and East Garafraxa has four running.

These are the acclaimed mayors and deputies in those two townships: East Garafraxa, Mayor Al Taylor and Deputy Mayor Guy Gardhouse; ELGV, Mayor John Oosterhof and Deputy John Ince. The deputy mayors of those two townships do not serve on county council for lack of an adequate population.

In ELGV, Bill Bus is the only incumbent councillor seeking a return, as Myrna Roberts has moved to East Garafraxa, and Tom Hardy had not filed nomination papers at last Friday's deadline.

The ELGV race for one of three council seats is among Councillor Bus, Steve Soloman, Rick Taylor, Stephen Tupling, Angie Walker and Susan Wilson.

In East Garafraxa, it's Ms. Roberts, Tom Nevills, Frances Pinkney and Alan Boynton in the four-way council race.

Back in Amaranth, the three-way mayoral race is among now-deputy mayor Don MacIver, Rick Dewsbury and Bob Cusiter. It's

still a two-man battle for the deputy's seat, with Mayor Bob Currie facing challenger Walter Kolodziechuk.

All incumbent councillors in Amaranth - Bob McLean, Jane Aultman and Percy Way - want to return. But they're challenged by an equal number of newcomers: Kevin Ewen, Bill Cowie, Wesley Lomond and Vi Robson.

In Melancthon, there are races for mayor and

council, but D.C. Broderick has been acclaimed as deputy mayor. For mayor, present deputy mayor Deb Fawcett and Ron Dillman have squared off against each other. For the three council seats, it's John Crow, Bill Hill, Bev Kumprey and Alan Hunter.

In Mulmur, Deputy Mayor Gordon Montgomery and Councillor Paul Mills are in the mayoral race, but Councillor Sue

Snider has been acclaimed as deputy mayor, as have Bill Weir, Earl Hawkins and Rhonda Campbell- Moon as councillors.

East Garafraxa, Mulmur and Mono are using "mail-in" balloting this year.

Eligible voters will soon receive their election kits and ballots by mail, and will have the option of mailing back the completed ballots or taking them to the municipal office.