July 20 is deadline to file for November Alpena Municipal Council election
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ALPENA — Alpenans who wish to run for a seat on the Alpena Municipal Council can begin the process now.
Clerk/Treasurer Anna Soik said the deadline for people to file the appropriate paperwork to get their name on the ballot for the November election is July 20 at 4 p.m. Packets of information are available at the clerk's office at City Hall.
Two of the five council seats are up for grabs: those currently held by Mayor Pro Tempore Cindy Johnson and by Councilwoman Amber Hess.
Johnson and Hess said they intend to seek another four-year term.
The city alternates the election of council members so the entire council isn't replaced at one time. Soik said having representatives on the board who are up to speed on issues and have experience is important.
The election of city officials is different than that of other positions like county commissioners. Soik said it is a nonpartisan election, with no primary. The two candidates that receive the most votes win the seat.
For most elections of local officials, there is a low turnout, unless the elections fall in a year where there is a gubernatorial or presidential race. Soik said she is unsure how many people will vote in the council race because the permanent absentee voting list grew last year and it may lure more people to get out and vote.
The voting list is a list of people who signed up to have absentee ballot applications sent to them before the election, so they can vote without going to the polls.
"We had two absentee voting boards in November, but we won't need that for this election," Soik said. "The list did increase tremendously because of the presidential election. I'm kind of anxious to see how that will turn out, because there were so many people added, I wonder if they will continue to vote now. If they do, that would increase the voter turnout."
The city's compensation committee sets the salaries of the council, and the current pay is $8,000 a year for the mayor, while the balance of council earns $6,000 each.
So far, nobody has filed for the November election.
There will be a pair of elections in the city this year. Alpena County is seeking a renewal of its 911 surcharge in May, and the council election in November.
The county's surcharge request is for up to $3 per phone line, which is the current rate.
For more information on the election for city council contact the clerk's office at 354-1720
Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.