Volunteering on a city committee or serving in an elected office is a way to serve your community. Edgewater municipal elections are coming up and we are looking for people who want to run for office and serve the community! City council members, acting as a body, are the legislative body for Edgewater. The mayor is non-voting except in the case of a tie, and runs council meetings. Both council members and the mayor represent the city with a variety of constituencies and groups.
City councilors work many hours every month participating in council business meetings and workshops, as well as working with other committees and constituents. Emergency situations can require more meetings. Compensation is set by the city charter at $300 a month before taxes.
The mayor has those same commitments, plus a number of other meetings within the city and with external committees and groups. The number and nature of meetings can vary greatly. During the pandemic, the mayor served the city through daily meetings with other city, county and state leaders. Emergency situations can require more meetings. Compensation is set by the city charter at $500 per month, before taxes.
The mayor serves a two-year term (with the ability to be elected to four consecutive terms) and council terms are four years each (with the ability to be elected to two consecutive terms). Every two years, elections are held for mayor and roughly half of the seven city council positions (three positions one election, four in the next election). Anyone appointed to an unexpired term only serves until the next election, and the time appointed to an unexpired term doesn’t count towards term limits.
This year, there are a minimum of three council seats being voted on. That number can increase, but won’t decrease.
Candidate packets are available now from the City Clerk. One of the required parts of getting on the ballot is submitting a petition signed by fellow citizens of Edgewater. While you can express an interest in running now and get a candidate packet, petitioning can’t start until Aug. 3 (91 days prior to the election) and no one is an official candidate until certifications of a petition with enough valid signatures.
Candidate packets have much more information that can be valuable in learning about the positions and the legal requirements for candidates. It’s also worth noting that there are limits on signing petitions. If there are three council positions, someone can sign three separate petitions. Since there is only one mayor, someone can only sign one petition for a potential candidate for mayor. Please note that the Edgewater City Charter and any applicable ordinances, along with state election law, are the official source for information on the elections – this is only a summary.
Serving in elected office can be a wonderful way of serving your community and developing your skills and abilities. It’s not about getting rich or getting your way, it’s about serving Edgewater. Think about how you can contribute.
Get more information at edgewaterco.com! Edgewater City Councilmember Steve Conklin can be reached at sconklin@edgewaterco.com.
