Only one township position in the Douglas County area is being contested Nov. 7.

Steve Brown and Gerald Dwyer are opponents in the race for Wakarusa Township Board clerk.

But Brown, a Republican, and Dwyer, a Democrat, said they are not campaigning against each other. Instead, they said they are content to let the voters decide for themselves based on each candidate’s background and willingness to do the job.

Dwyer, 61, described himself as a retired farmer who still does some farming. He has never run for political office before.

“I decided to give it a try,” he said. “I decided I wanted to do some public service work. I don’t have any agenda.”

Brown, 47, is a lieutenant with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, where he has been on the patrol unit as well as a school D.A.R.E. officer. He said he thinks he knows and understands the people of the township because of his 22 years with the department. He also spent seven years as police chief in Bolivar, Mo.

“I feel I can make a meaningful contribution as township board clerk,” Brown said.

Wakarusa Township is southeast of Lawrence. The clerk is paid $300 per month.

The following races are all uncontested:

Clinton Township

Jim Baldwin, Republican, is seeking a second term as clerk on the Clinton Township board.

Baldwin, 57, said he initially ran because some people asked him to. He is unopposed.

Baldwin is a retired Douglas County Sheriff’s officer. Now he works as a handyman and farmer.

The clerk is paid $800 per year.

Eudora Township

Jim Gabriel wasn’t sure he wanted to run for Eudora Township clerk again after serving 10 years.

He didn’t file for the office last summer, but neither did anyone else. So township voters wrote in his name.

“Things get awfully busy,” Gabriel, 34, said. “We haven’t been able to find anybody else to run.”

Gabriel, a Republican, who is unopposed in the general election, said it is good to be able to have people on the township board who are interested in politics and know the people.

The biggest issue facing the township is increasing traffic, Gabriel said.

“It’s too much traffic for rock roads, and it takes a lot of maintenance,” he said.

The increased traffic is an indication the township is growing, he said.

“We have a pretty good tax base now,” Gabriel said. “The township is in better shape with equipment than it used to be.”

The clerk is paid $50 per day along with $7 per hour to perform work on township roads and bridges.

Kanwaka Township

Jeanne Waisner has held the Kanwaka Township clerk’s position since 1999. She seeks re-election and is running unopposed.

Waisner, a Republican, first became involved with the township in 1997, providing payroll processing services.

She has dual degrees in accounting and business administration from Kansas University. She is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant. She works at ICL Performance Products LP in Lawrence, where she is the controller with oversight responsibility for accounting, purchasing, information technology, shippers and warehousing functions.

Waisner, 40, is married and has two sons.

Kanwaka is in the western part of Douglas County. The clerk is paid $350 per month plus $50 for attending an annual meeting called by the county engineer.

Willow Springs Township

Jerry Smith is running unopposed for a third term as Willow Springs Township clerk.

Smith, a Republican, is a former Kansas Highway Patrol trooper who retired in 1994 after 30 years with the force. He now is employed as an operator by Rural Water District No. 5, where he “does whatever needs to be done.”

Smith said he enjoys the clerk’s job and being able to work with the rest of the township board as well as the people in the township.

“It’s something I can do that’s close to home, and it’s something I can do for my community,” Smith, 66, said.

There are no major issues in the township right now, other than taking care of routine business, Smith said.

Smith is married and has three grown children.

Willow Springs is in southern Douglas County. The clerk is paid $500 per quarter.

Marion Township

Frank Rhodes is the sole candidate for Marion Township clerk.

Rhodes, 43, a Republican, has had the position for two four-year terms and seeks a third. Though he missed the filing deadline to get his name on the primary ballot, voters wrote his name in, assuring his appearance on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

“I’m just trying to keep the people of Marion Township happy and see that they have good-quality roads,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes grew up in Baldwin. He is an electrician in Lawrence.

Marion Township is in the southwest corner of Douglas County. The clerk’s pay is not to exceed $2,070 per year.

Grant Township

Randall J. Hartford, a Republican, is the only candidate for the clerk’s job on the Grant Township Board.

Hartford, 52, said he’s been on the board “a long time, about 12 years.” He’s seeking another four-year term.

“It’s been kind of a civic duty,” Hartford said about serving the township, which is located northeast of Lawrence. “It’s something I can do with my schedule, and it is a way for me to serve my community.”

Hartford is a small-construction contractor. He is married and has two children. He has lived in Douglas County since 1978.

The Grant Township clerk is paid $200 per month.

Palmyra Township

Janet Ballinger is seeking re-election as Palmyra Township clerk.

Ballinger defeated Don Johnson in the August Republican primary election but is unopposed in the Nov. 7 general election.

Ballinger, a Republican, couldn’t be reached for comment. The phone number listed on her candidate filing papers at the Douglas County Clerk’s Office has been disconnected.

The Palmyra clerk is paid $350 per month and $150 for attending an annual meeting, and $100 for preparing the township budget.

Lecompton Township

Michael Stewart, a Republican, is running for his first term as Lecompton Township clerk. He doesn’t have an opponent.

“I’d been interested in it,” Stewart said of the job. “It’s a public service.”

Stewart, 39, is an information technologist in the Kansas Secretary of State’s office. He wants to see whether he can use his job knowledge and experience introducing technology into the township operations.

There are no major issues facing the township, Stewart said. “It’s just taking care of business.”

Stewart has lived in Lecompton since 1980. His wife, Kim, is a lifelong resident, and the couple have three children.

Stewart would replace outgoing clerk Ken Norwood.

The clerk is paid $228.33 per month or $685 each quarter.