CITY ELECTIONS THIS YEAR

It is hard to believe it has been five years since the citizens voted to incorporate Cottonwood Heights as a city and elected the current Mayor and City Council. This year is an election year for three of those city offices.

If you currently live in Cottonwood Heights and have been here for at least a year, and if you are 18 or over, you are eligible to run for mayor. The mayor’s seat, currently held by Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore, Jr., who has been serving as mayor since the city was incorporated in 2005, is up for election this year.

There are also four council districts in the city. The voters in Districts 1 and 2 re-elected their councilmen two years ago.   The seats currently held by Councilmen Don Antczak, district 3, and Bruce Jones, District 4, are up for election this year. Requirements to run for city council are the same as for mayor, plus one must live within the boundaries of the district in which they run (see district maps on city website). Each of the three seats is for a four year term, beginning on January 4, 2010.

Annual compensation for the Mayor is $19,783 and city council members receive a stipend of $13,138. City Council meetings are every Tuesday night from 6:00 pm to as late as midnight. The mayor position is similar to a part-time job with meetings and appearances during the day and in the evening. Council member’s responsibilities are mostly evenings, but there are occasional daytime requirements. Council members have specific committee assignments. The mayor represents the city on many county-wide boards and committees in addition to city related duties.

Inquiries have been made regarding the plans of the incumbents for each of the offices up for election this year. All three have stated their intent to see re-election.

Advance planning is required to run for these positions. Those interested should immediately begin organizing a campaign committee and lining up support for their candidacy. The official process for acquiring one of these elected positions is to file your Declaration of Candidacy with the City Recorder sometime between July 1^st at 8:00 am and July 15^th by 5:00 pm. Filing during those dates and times is the only way to get one’s name on the official election ballot. The filing fee is $25 and filing must be done in person with City Recorder Linda Dunlavy in the city offices 1265 East Fort Union Blvd., #250. City Council seats are non-partisan, so party affiliation or non-affiliation is irrelevant. Political parties are not involved.

 

After filing closes, the process is as follows:

If more than two people file for any of the three offices, there will be a Primary Election on September 15^th to narrow the field to two candidates for each office. If only one or two people file for a given seat then there will not be a Primary Election for that seat.

Following the Primary Election, there will be only one or two candidates for each seat. These people will all be on the General Election Ballot. That election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. The winners of that election will take their seats as members of the Cottonwood Heights City Council on Monday, January 4^th, 2010.

 

Any questions should be directed to Linda Dunlavy, 801-944-7000 or ldunlavy@cottonwoodheights.utah.gov.