The Whispering Pines Village Council will have a different look after November's election.

Mayor Bob Zschoche is the only incumbent seeking re-election to the council, which has three seats up for election this cycle. At least two newcomers will be installed this December.

The filing period had to be extended until noon last Friday because only two candidates -- Zschoche and challenger Ron Saylor -- filed for the three open seats. Gregory Biggs, Gerald Osborne and Scott Everly all filed shortly before the extended deadline. However, Everly dropped his candidacy earlier this week, leaving a four-man race for three seats.

Zschoche is seeking his second term on the council. He was elected in 2005 and was appointed mayor in late 2007. He said that there are still a few items on the "to-do" list he created when he joined the council that he would like to see through to fruition.

"I feel like there are still some things about the village that I can contribute to," he said.

Saylor, a retired attorney, was the first challenger to file for a seat. He said he is familiar with village ordinances through his professional background, as well as through his time as chairman of the village's Land-Use Steering Committee.

"I am very interested in our community, which is primarily why I'm running," he said.

He said he considers land use and water to be the two biggest issues facing Whispering Pines right now. He said he also advocates a fiscally conservative approach to government.

Osborne is the current vice chairman of the village's Lakes and Watershed Board and is a regular at Village Council meetings, where he frequently speaks during the public-comment period on a variety of issues.

He said he believes his background in administration management and human resources can help in the village's transition to a manager-driven government, where the council assumes a more strategic, policy-making role.

Osborne said he wants to see the village preserve what makes it special and expand on that if possible. He said he considers maintenance of the village's lakes as a major issue. He also wants to make a point to recognize the village's countless volunteers.

"I would like the community to be more aware of what people do on a daily basis," he said. "Sometimes I think we lose sight of that."

The Pilot was unable to reach Biggs for comment for this story.

Incumbent Councilmen Randy Saunders and Frank Zamaroni both declined to run for another term.

Saunders could not be reached for comment. He was elected in 2005 along with Zamaroni and Zschoche.

Zamaroni said that he and his wife moved to Whispering Pines eight years ago to retire. But he said he hasn't really felt retired because of his involvement in village's boards and council. He is currently chairing the water task force of the Moore County Summit.

He said he was excited about the candidates who are running and looked forward to watching the village progress with Manager Steve DeBolt.

"I moved here to retire and I decided it's time to do so," he said.

Contact John Krahnert III at 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.