LOS BANOS Monday started the filing period forlocal candidates planning to run for office this November. The filing period ends Aug. 10.</p><p>According to t h e M e r c e d County Registrar of Voters, six people holding local office will have to file forreelection to vie for their seats.</p><p>In city government, the terms of Councilman Joe Sousa and Councilwoman Elizabeth Stonegrove will end.</p><p>Mayor Mike Villalta will also have to be reelected to remain in office.Villalta has pulled papers for the mayoral race. In the City Council race, Planning Commissioners Deborah Lewis and Arkady Faktorovich have papers out.</p><p>For the Los Banos Unified School District, the terms of Trustees Colleen Menefee (District 4), Jack Vasquez (District 6) and Henry Smith (who is planning not to run, leaving District 2 vacant) will expire. Businessman Thomas Higby has filed to run for the District 2 spot.</p><p>All of the above filing and obtaining of election paperwork was made public by the election department before Thursday afternoon.</p><p>This is the first time voters will choose school board members by district. In December the board of trustees voted 4-3 to discontinue at-large voting. District officials were worried about encountering lawsuits from special interest groups outside of Los Banos that may claim they were not complying with the 2002 Voters Rights Act.</p><p>The act requires school districts establish voting areas that fairly reflect the population makeup. Los Banos is 64.9 percent Hispanic. Within the new districting boundaries, Hispanics make up between 40 percent and 67 percent of the population in each district.</p><p>Trustees also represent between 5,500 and 5,800 people each.</p><p>District 2 includes Cabernet Street and Overland Avenue to the west and south, Mercey Springs Road to the east and beyond Vineyard Drive to the North. District 4 includes Fourth Street and a portion of Second Street to the west, Jefferson Avenue to the south, Eleventh Street to the north (south of Pacheco Boulevard) and Mercey Springs Road to the east (north of Pacheco Boulevard). District 6 stretches beyond Ortigalita Road to the west,Colorado, Center avenues and Cabernet Street to the east, past Cardoza Road to the south and Capri Avenue to the north.</p><p>Election Day is Nov. 6.will expire. Businessman Thomas Higby has filed to run for the District 2 spot.</p><p>All of the above filing and obtaining of election paperwork was made public by the election department before Thursday afternoon.</p><p>This is the first time voters will choose school board members by district. In December the board of trustees voted 4-3 to discontinue at-large voting. District officials were worried about encountering lawsuits from special interest groups outside of Los Banos that may claim they were not complying with the 2002 Voters Rights Act.</p><p>The act requires school districts establish voting areas that fairly reflect the population makeup. Los Banos is 64.9 percent Hispanic. Within the new districting boundaries, Hispanics make up between 40 percent and 67 percent of the population in each district.</p><p>Trustees also represent between 5,500 and 5,800 people each.</p><p>District 2 includes Cabernet Street and Overland Avenue to the west and south, Mercey Springs Road to the east and beyond Vineyard Drive to the North. District 4 includes Fourth Street and a portion of Second Street to the west, Jefferson Avenue to the south, Eleventh Street to the north (south of Pacheco Boulevard) and Mercey Springs Road to the east (north of Pacheco Boulevard).</p><p>District 6 stretches beyond Ortigalita Road to the west,Colorado, Center avenues and Cabernet Street to the east, past Cardoza Road to the south and Capri Avenue to the north.</p><p>Election Day is Nov. 6.