The City of Hinesville has set its qualifying dates and fees for the upcoming municipal elections.

Qualifying will be held Aug. 21-25, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day, at the city clerk’s office at Hinesville City Hall, 115 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The qualifying fees are $720 for the mayor’s seat and $360 for each of the five council member seats.

Early voting for the city elections will be held Oct. 16-Nov. 3 from 8 a.m.5 p.m. at the Historic Liberty County Courthouse, 100 Main St.

Polls will open Nov. 7 at the Charles M. Shuman Recreation Center, 800 Tupelo Trail, from 7 a.m.7 p.m.

Voter registration can be done at the county voter registration office, Suite 1600 in the Historic Courthouse.

Council members voted 4-1 recently to increase the compensation for the mayor and council. City Manager Kenneth Howard was asked to look at several communities that had changes in their compensation packages, including the City of Riceboro and the Liberty County Board of Commissioners.

The mayor’s salary was raised from $24,000 a year to $32,000 and council members’ annual compensation was raised from $12,000 to $18,000.

The mayor’s seat will be open as incumbent Allen Brown is term limited and has served a second consecutive four-year term as mayor, prohibiting him from another term.