When I was doing my homework to see who all is qualified to run for public office in our local communities, it became apparent that it doesn’t take much to run for office.
by Brent Maze
All you have to do to get your name on the ballot is either pay a $10 fee if you want to declare party or submit a petition with either 15 valid voter signatures if you run for aldermen or 50 signatures if you run for mayor if you want to run as an independent.
While I understand that it doesn’t take much to run for office, winning it and doing your job in office is difficult.
That being said, it is also scary that it’s that easy to qualify for public office. That crazy uncle you can’t get along with, that guy could run for office and potentially be mayor.
It’s a difficult job, but it’s one of the most important job that we have in our communities. While it doesn’t get the publicity of a statewide or presidential race, it is probably more important to your daily life than those other elections are.
They make the ordinances, and they can help make a city more welcome to new businesses.
That being said, you can’t come in and change the community in a day, but you can help set your city’s course for the future in a good way.
If you are interested, please call your city clerk and give it a shot. Our communities need good leaders and people who are willing to sacrifice their time and energy for the greater good.
Brent can be reached at bmaze@newtoncountyappeal.com.
