Gaithersburg voters head to the polls today to elect a mayor and two council members.

By 11 a.m., according to city data, 1,017 city voters had cast their ballots in city elections, where Mayor Sidney A. Katz is being challenged for his seat by newcomer Richard Koch and incumbent councilmen Henry F. Marraffa Jr. and Michael A. Sesma are being challenged by Tom Rowse for the two City Council spots.

Polls are open until 8 p.m.

There was one glitch at the polling place at Potomac Oaks Condominiums. A scanning machine that tallies the ballots broke and a replacement was brought from City Hall, said City Attorney Lynn Board. She said the glitch did not delay voters.

Turnout has been steady.

"It's been a nice influx of people throughout the morning," said Nathaniel Butler, an election judge at City Hall. "The last time I was here, we had a lot come in the evenings."

Fellow election judge Nick Giuliano agreed turnout would increase in the evening.

"They can be late for dinner, but they can't be late for work," he said.

A polling station in the Kentlands, where Koch lives, saw the morning's highest turnout with 279 ballots cast, according to unofficial records compiled by Board.

A steady stream of voters roamed in and out of the polling station at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Kent Gardens Circle, where Koch and Katz stood outside and greeted voters.

Several people said they were voting for the first time in city elections.

"I just moved to Gaithersburg two years ago, so it's good to get involved," said Amy Sklut, 29. "I'm voting for Koch because he is about change. You know, give someone else a chance. See what they can do for the city."

Public safety is on her mind, she said.

"To keep the area safe, I think. That's the biggest concern — cutting crime," she said.

Karen Gresh, 50, a 10-year resident of the Kentlands, also pulled a lever in city elections for the first time.

"I like the new person running for mayor," she said. "I think we need a change. It's exciting."

Building business and increasing employment are a key concern for voters.

"I'm concerned that we need to attract and retain businesses here and we need to keep our tax base up," said Ken Smondrowski, 40, a Lakelands resident whose daughter attends Rachel Carson Elementary School.

Smondrowski said overcrowding is always an issue.

"I want to make sure that we have companies that want to be in Gaithersburg and they need to have a reason to be here," Smondrowski said. "That's an important issue for me."

Brian Ddumba, 34, a six-year city resident who lives in Potomac Oaks Condominiums, said his key concerns were employment and job creation. Ddumba voted at City Hall, as he has in previous elections.

Betsy Bart, 75, of Deer Park said she is interested in maintaining the city's low tax rate, an issue on which all the candidates agree.

"I don't want to see my city go into debt unnecessarily," said Bart, a lifelong city resident. "I just don't want to see them spending willy-nilly."