Beginning Monday, candidates running for the Santa Clarita City Council can now file their paperwork to be eligible contenders on November’s ballot.
Before candidates can file their names for the upcoming election, they require a collection of signatures with 20 to 30 names of city voters attached, according to the city website.
“Each candidate is also required to file a Statement of Economic Interests, disclosing investments and interests in real property at the time that the nomination paper is returned for filing,” it says. “There is no charge for filing nomination papers.”
Candidates can also add mission statements to their names on sample ballots for voters to read. These statements include their name, occupation and a description of their qualifications for running, according to the city website.
The candidates’ statements, when printed, cost $2,200 in English only, whereas an English/Spanish translation costs $4,400 based on the Los Angeles County estimate.
As of Monday evening, no candidates have submitted their filings, yet, said Mary Cusick, city clerk.
Three seats are on the ballot, as Mayor Laurene Weste, Councilman Bill Miranda and Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean are expected to run for reelection. Weste and McLean were elected in 2014. Miranda was appointed in 2017 to fill the remainder of Assemblyman Dante Acosta’s term.
Candidates expected to run against them include Jason Gibbs, Brett Haddock, Logan Smith, Diane Trautman, Lee Uber, Christopher Werthe and Stephen Updycke.
All candidates running have until Aug. 10 to file their paperwork. If an incumbent councilmember does not file his/her paperwork by that date, the filing period for non-incumbent candidates will be extended to the evening of Aug. 15, according to an FAQ on votesantaclarita.com.
The three candidates with the most votes will be sworn in Dec. 11, 2018, before the next regular city council meeting. Elections for Santa Clarita city council members are consolidated with Los Angeles County General Elections, according to the FAQ.
