By Jason C. Mattox

The Town of Como will not have the expense of a special election to fill the unexpired term of former Ward 4 Alderman Everett Hill, who won a special election to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Judy Sumner who died in office.

Teresa Dishmon turned in her qualifying paperwork, including a petition containing signatures of 50 voters in Ward 4, Wednesday and is the only candidate on the ballot.

The deadline to qualify for the office of was Wednesday at 5 p.m.

According to MS Code section 23-15-857, if only one candidate has qualified 20 days prior to the election, aldermen can dispense with the election and name the candidate the winner.

“We have to wait on the election commissioners to qualify her candidacy,” Town Clerk D. Scott Rhines said.

Rhines explained that once Dishmon is qualified by the commission, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen will call a special meeting to dispense with the election.

“She would then be sworn in, because she is going to want to be seated before the next board meeting,” he said.

The next regular meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen is Tuesday, April 20 at 6 p.m.