The deadline to file a petition to be on the 2022 ballot has passed with two candidates for mayor and four for town council throwing their hats into the ring.

At one point eight Fountain Hills residents had begun the process to be included on the ballot. Last month, mayoral hopeful Kelly Smith announced he would no longer be in the running and, as you’ll see in today’s letters, Mark Biermann has decided not to run for council.

Now, incumbent Mayor Ginny Dickey and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio are in the running for mayor, with Cindy Couture, Brenda Kalivianakis, Allen Skillicorn and Hannah Toth vying for three council seats. Outside of Dickey, no council incumbent is running for reelection.

For those looking to get to know the candidates in these early stages of their campaign, we invite you to check out our introductions beginning on page 1A of this week’s edition. The Times is currently finalizing questions that candidates will be given the opportunity to respond to in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 2 election, and we will also cover any major local debates/forums candidates take part in.

We encourage our readers to spend these next few months getting to know the candidates. Read their responses in our upcoming Q&A series, learn about their backgrounds and ambitions, then cast a well-informed vote in August.