Voters will head to the polls Saturday to decide city and school district races across Denton County, including the hotly contested Denton mayoral race.

Mayor Perry McNeill, a retired professor and engineer, is fighting for re-election against three challengers. They include former council member Mark Burroughs, a lawyer who has spent more than $45,000 to unseat the first-term incumbent.

Businessman Justin Bell, who lost to McNeill in 2006, and college student Darac Favre also are challenging the mayor.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The election will also decide who fills three other Denton council seats.

Area schools

In Aubrey, incumbent Rusty Bland says construction projects are the most pressing issue facing the district, while his opponent Bruce Birdsong seeks more transparency in its governance. The other incumbent is running unopposed.

In Argyle, seven candidates filed for three at-large spots on the Argyle school board, where controversy over the superintendent’s termination has dogged the district for months.

In Krum, where growth issues loom, six newcomers are vying for three seats on the school board.

Just one incumbent on the Lake Dallas school board has an opponent, where teacher and staff pay has become the focus.

Similarly, in Pilot Point, Melinda Street has challenged incumbent Linda DeGraffenreid for Place 2 on the school board. Both see stabilizing the district’s finances as important, since the district faced a deficit several years ago. Their race has become the priciest among school elections while another incumbent runs unopposed.

Area Towns and Cities

Many area towns and cities canceled elections, as incumbents drew no opponents at all in Aubrey, Copper Canyon, Dish, Krugerville, Lake Dallas and Shady Shores. However, Lake Dallas will call a special election in November to replace Mayor Marjory Johnson, who has announced plans to move to Sanger and resign her post effective May 22.

In the other Lake Cities of Hickory Creek and Corinth, two incumbents did not seek re-election, drawing races for both those vacancies.

Likewise, in Pilot Point, vacancies left by outgoing mayor Jerry Alford and Place 4 Council member Jay Melugin drew three candidates each. Neither race requires a majority vote to win. Turnout was slow until the last two days of early voting, when another 6 percent of registered voters cast ballots Monday and Tuesday.

Select races in Ponder and Sanger have failed to energize voters so far, where turnout hovered around 3 percent.

Turnout was more vigorous in Krum, Double Oak, Oak Point and Argyle, where incumbent councils all face a challenge. Specific-purpose committees in both Oak Point and Argyle were formed to support a slate of three candidates and oust select incumbents. Argyle’s race, overall, has been the costliest so far and inspired the highest voter turnout during early voting, at 21 percent voter.

In Cross Roads, Mayor Harv Kitchens faces his first challenge since the 2002 rough-and-tumble election that put him in the chair, this time from Burr Willcox. Voters energized by growth issues, including new sewer development, turned out to make their choice known for this tiny town of 600: 83 people cast ballots through Tuesday, or about 14.8 percent of registered voters, the second highest turnout in the area.

 PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .

LOWELLBROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com.