Gunnufson files non-candidacy for Colfax Village Board, two file for village president

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX  —  Scott Gunnufson, the incumbent village president on the Colfax Village Board, has filed a non-candidacy form with the Colfax administrator-clerk-treasurer’s office for the April 4 election.

Gunnufson told the village board several months ago that he did not plan to run for re-election on the April ballot.

Two candidates filed nomination papers for the village president’s position by the deadline at 5 p.m. Tuesday, January 3: Gary Stene and Chris M. Olson.

Stene has served as village president several terms in the past, with his most recent village president term ending in April of 2013.

Stene currently serves as a supervisor on the Dunn County Board for District No. 5.

Stene also serves as vice-chair of the Dunn County Board.

Olson has previously served as a trustee on the Colfax Village Board.

Gunnufson was first elected as village president in April of 2013. He was appointed to the village board the previous fall following the resignation of Tina Bradford, who had been appointed after the resignation of Mike Laska. 

In April of 2013, after Olson lost the election for village president to Gunnufson, he submitted a letter of interest for the open position on the village board for a term that would expire in April of 2014.

In his letter, Olson noted that he had served on the village board for four years, had served on the parks and cemetery committee and had been working on the annexation of Evergreen Cemetery. 

The Colfax Village Board subsequently appointed village resident Mike Buchner to serve the one-year term that ended in April of 2014. 

In late February or early March, the Colfax Messenger will publish profiles of the two candidates for village president in the April 4 election.

Trustees

Three candidates also filed nomination papers for three trustee positions on the village board.

Incumbent village trustees David Wolff, Annie Schieber and Keith Burcham filed nomination papers by the January 3 deadline. 

Colfax school board

Three incumbent candidates have filed nomination papers for three positions on the Colfax Board of Education.

Kenneth Bjork, Christie Hill and Jodi Kiekhafer all filed nomination papers by the January 3 deadline to appear on the April 4 ballot for the Colfax school board.