Local citizens interested in serving the city as mayor or city councilor can throw their names in the hat beginning June 5 to appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. Three council seats along with the mayor’s position will be up for grabs.
The filing process must be completed by 5 p.m. Aug. 13, the city recorder’s office said.
Positions are nonpartisan, unpaid volunteer positions with four-year terms that begin Jan. 1 of next year. Council positions are elected at-large, meaning candidates may reside in any area within the city limits.
Chas Jones is currently serving as mayor. The three city councilors currently holding seats that will be a part of the Nov. 5 election include Diane Crocker, Ruth Causey and Christopher McMorran.
Mayor and City Council candidates must meet two qualifications to run for the office. First, candidates must be considered to be a “qualified elector” within the meaning of Oregon’s state constitution, and second, must be a resident of Philomath during the 12 months immediately preceding the election.
In addition, no citizen can run for the offices of mayor and city council in the same election. Continuous service on the council, which includes mayor, is limited to three four-year terms. Appointees are considered to have served a full term if they were in the seat for two-plus years. An appointed partial term of less than two years does not count against the continuous term limit.
Those interested in running are encouraged to make an appointment with Ruth Post, city elections official, to determine if qualifications and residency requirements are met and to learn more about the expectations of serving on the City Council.
For more information, go online to the city’s website at www.ci.philomath.or.us/elections.