Eight candidates are vying for Eldorado Water and Sanitation Board seats currently held by George Haddad, Steve Wust, James Jenkins and Roberta Armstrong; vice-president Jerry Cooper's seat is not open.

Incumbents Wust, Jenkins, and Armstrong will run against Tom Willmott, Lucian Niemeyer, Jerry Bradley, William Bodle and John Hawkins. All are long-term Eldorado residents.

Haddad said he will not be running in the upcoming election due to pressing family obligations.

The public is invited to meet the candidates at a forum sponsored by the Eldorado Residents Association at 7 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Eldorado Community Center.

Four board members will be elected; two positions are four-year-terms, and two positions for the two years remaining from premature vacancies.

Niemeyer, retired national sales manager for Volkswagen, will run against incumbent president Jenkins for the four-year president's slot.

Incumbent member Armstrong, a retired corporate project manager will run against Hawkins, a local contractor, for the other four-year seat. Businessman Bodle will challenge Wust, county natural resources director, for a two-year term.

Newcomers Bradley, a geophysical engineer, and Willmott will vie for the remaining two-year seat.

The election is Jan. 13 and is open to property owners within the district. Requests for absentee ballots can be picked up at the Operations Management Inc. office or the ECIA.

The current board added an additional item to the ballot asking voters whether or not the district should authorize more bonds or obtain loans.

If approved, additional money would be used to refinance current bonds at a more favorable interest rate. According to board members, refinancing could save the district some $250,000 in annual payments.