Kerry Mosher plans to be first in line when filing opens for the Ward 1 Fort Mill Town Council seat up for grabs this summer.

Filing opens Friday at noon at the York County Registration and Elections office at 13 South Congress St. in York. Mosher, who is making his first run for elected office, said he wants to be more involved in the town's future.

"I'm thinking it's an exciting time in Fort Mill," Mosher said.

The two biggest challenges facing Fort Mill - growth and maintaining good schools - are good problems to have, he said. With the large-scale annexations in recent years and new leadership on the council, managing the town's growth is more important than ever, Mosher said.

The Ward 1 seat was held by Guynn Savage, who stepped down earlier this month because she is moving across town and out of the ward. Savage was in the middle of her first full term on the council after running uncontested four years ago to finish the term of former Councilman Jim Kinard, who also moved out of the ward. Savage ran uncontested for her full term as well.

"In the last election I liked the direction the town was going," Mosher said. "With the changes and growth coming, I want to make sure the community tries to stay somewhat small, and keep the atmosphere that has attracted so many people to Fort Mill for years."

Mosher, 48, moved to Fort Mill in 1992 with his wife and two children. Both kids have graduated from Fort Mill High School. While they were in school, their father volunteered with the school system, serving as co-president of the Fort Mill High Booster club in 1997-'98. He also served on the board of the Fort Mill Rescue Squad, where his wife continues to volunteer. Before moving to Fort Mill, he also was a former president of a Kiwanis Club in Ohio.

Two areas he plans to focus on, should he win the seat, will be maintaining "lines of communication" between Fort Mill and other local governments, and protecting existing green spaces and creating new ones, Mosher said.

"I want to stay active in parks and recreation, and make sure there is space set aside for recreation, whether it be greenways, trails or ball fields," he said.

Filing for the Ward 1 seat will remain open through Monday, May 12. If the election is uncontested, the filing fee is $100. If more than one candidate files, the cost is $50, and the first filer will get a $50 refund, according to Registration and Elections Director Wanda Hemphill.

The election is set for Tuesday, July 15.