With the late and unexpected emergence of a two new candidates for position 1 on the Oak Harbor City Council, it’s shaping up to be a four-way race in the Aug. 16 primary election.

Martha Yount, 66, filed for the position at the Island County Election’s Office in Coupeville Thursday and Tara Hizon, 32, filed Friday morning. They will vie for the seat with Paul Brewer and Mark Wiggins, both whom filed earlier in the week.

Two candidates filed for mayor, four for the seat currently held by Jim Palmer, and one will with vie with Beth Munns for position 2.

A challenger appeared at the last minute against Councilman Rick Almberg, in position 3. Mel Vance, who lost in a race against Almberg four years ago, filed for a redo. Vance is known as a steadfast watcher and commenter on city government. He also ran two years ago for the council seat that Scott Dudley currently holds, but was eliminated in the primary election.

Eaton, 67, is a retired high school history teacher. He surprised everyone when he unexpectedly filed for position 2 Wednesday. The seat is currently held by Munns, who is finishing up the last year of her first term. She filed for reelection Monday.

Eaton said he isn’t looking to run a “negative” campaign but believes Oak Harbor “is going back to a time when government was less open,” referring to a recent dispute over the Open Public Meetings Act.

Munns, however, said she has no shame over the past four years, claiming that transparency is greater than it’s ever been.

“I’ll guarantee you that,” she said.

Brewer, also a former city councilman, is running for position 1. He say’s it’s too late to try and justify the rule change or to claim ignorance.

“People are tired and don’t like what’s going on,” he said.

But not everyone sees it as a major campaign issue. Neither Wiggins nor Yount believe the issue is anything to get too worked up about.

Wiggins, a former Oak Harbor Planning Commission member, said he looked at the dispute as “put to bed and moved on.”

Yount, a regular at city council meetings and the former owner of Whidbey Island Computers on Midway Boulevard, said the issue was important but that she had different motivations for running. She believes she has something to offer and hopes to add a little gender diversity to the council.

“I think they could use another female,” Yount said.

Like Eaton, Yount filed late and unexpectedly Thursday. She has, however, been very involved over the past year, attending the majority of council meetings. She’s an active member of several Oak Harbor civic groups, from the PBY Memorial Foundation and Navy League and to the Kiwanis Club.

Yount decided to run for position 1 largely because Palmer, who she said did a great job, is not seeking re-election.

Hizon, owner of Lightworks Communications, could not be reached for comment before press time Friday. Her position on the standing committee rules, and what goals she has for office, are unknown.