It’s down to six applicants who will vie Saturday to fill the District 9 vacancy on the Wake County school board.

William Ingerslaw, an IBM retiree, has withdrawn his application, said school board Chairman Keith Sutton, who declined to say why.

The school board will interview the remaining applicants starting at 9:30 a.m. A vote is expected in the afternoon to fill the seat that represents much of Cary.

The new board member would finish out Debra Goldman’s term, which expires in November. Goldman resigned last month to run a nonprofit organization in Wilkes County.

The remaining applicants are Nancy Caggia, a long-time school volunteer; Bill Fletcher, a real-estate agent and former school board member; Linda Gunter , a lobbyist for the N.C. Association of Educators and former state senator; Anna Johnson, a community and school volunteer; Lois Nixon, who ran against Goldman in 2009; and Jim Pomeranz, who has worked in sales since 1987.

A game of water poker

Orange County is asking the state for a future allocation of 3 million more gallons of Jordan Lake water per day.

The county now has a Level II allocation that reserves 1 million gallons of water per day. It has been paying about $2,800 a year for more than 20 years for that share, but can’t draw it from Jordan Lake without state permission. The county also can’t get water from Jordan Lake for emergencies or extreme drought without going to Durham or Cary.

The state Environmental Management Commission allocates about 100 million gallons of Jordan Lake water a day to 13 Triangle providers.

Orange County commissioners chairman Barry Jacobs said the additional water one day could support homes and businesses drawn to three Economic Development Districts. He compared the plan to secure more Jordan Lake water to a big poker game.

“The stakes have been raised, and if you want to ante up, you have to put in more money and you have to put in more effort,” Jacobs said. “You have to ask for more water, and be more specific about what you need it for and where you might use it.”

A leaner Raleigh council?

The Raleigh City Council got a late start to its Tuesday meeting because only four members were in the room at 1 p.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Eugene Weeks apologized to the crowd, explaining that he needed a quorum of five council members to conduct business. Councilwoman Mary Ann Baldwin arrived a few minutes later, allowing the meeting to start.

Weeks was filling in for Mayor Nancy McFarlane, who along with other area mayors was meeting with Gov. Pat McCrory. Councilmen Bonner Gaylord and Thomas Crowder also had schedule conflicts.

They didn’t miss much – the meeting was over within the hour. As the council adjourned, Baldwin joked that she “was going to make a motion that we just have five councilors at all meetings, because look at how we just blew through this.”

By the time McFarlane returned for the evening session, she’d heard of the plan for a leaner council. “Thanks for not changing the council to five members while I was gone,” she said.

Durham GOP chair re-elected

Durham County Republicans re-elected Chairman Ted Hicks to a second one-year term at their convention last week. Other officers elected were Lee Green, vice chairman; Emily Walker, secretary; Katy Zastrow Dubois, assistant secretary; Jim McKenzie, treasurer; Ethelle Fitch, assistant treasurer; Mark Stern, information officer; and Tom Stark, legal counsel.

The Durham GOP holds its next executive committee meeting at 7 p.m. March 19 at Healthy Start Academy, 807 W. Chapel Hill St. All registered Republicans are welcome to attend.

Political Trails

• Jenn Frye of Democracy NC will speak Monday about voter ID legislation and its effects on voters and future elections at the Wake Democratic Men’s Club meeting at the Clarion hotel in downtown Raleigh. Doors open at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. RSVP to awdellingerjd@yahoo.com.

• Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Freedom, will speak at the Republican Women’s Club of Chapel Hill at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Chapel Hill Country Club, 103 Lancaster Drive. Reservations: Joan Long, 919-942-2325.

Compiled by T. Keung Hui, Tammy Grubb, Colin Campbell, and Jim Wise.

Got a tip, item or coming event? Fax Triangle Politics at 919-829-4529, or send e-mail to metroeds@newsobserver.com. Send items by noon Thursday.