Let Belmont Election Season Commence

[The following was submitted by the City of Belmont.]

The City of Belmont will hold a General Municipal Election on November 5, 2013. Three seats on the five-member City Council will be up for election. City Council incumbents whose terms will be expiring are Coralin Feierbach, Dave Warden, and Warren Lieberman, and since there are no term limits in Belmont, all are eligible to run for re-election.

Candidate packets, including nomination papers and other required forms, will be available to any interested candidate beginning Monday, July 15, and the deadline to file papers as a candidate is Friday, August 9. If any one incumbent has not filed nomination papers by the August 9th deadline, further nomination of candidates, other than incumbents, for such elective office will be received until 5:00 P.M. on August 14.  These dates are set by Election Code and cannot be waived. Candidate packets are not available prior to July 15.

As of this press release, six candidates have already filed their Form 501 Candidate Intention Statement, including Michael Verdone, Charles Stone, Eric Reed, Gladwyn D’Souza, Kristin Mercer, and Dave Warden. Some of these candidates have also already registered a campaign committee with the Secretary of State’s Office.

The City will schedule an orientation for all qualified candidates after the filing period closes in August.

The County Election Office is holding a series of informational workshops for those interested in becoming candidates for any local race in San Mateo County. Please contact their office at (650) 312-5222 for more information, or visit www.shapethefuture.org.

Nomination papers must be picked up in person by the prospective candidate (not his/her representative) from the City Clerk in Suite 375 at City Hall, One Twin Pines Lane, during regular business hours. “Although an appointment to take out nomination papers is not required, it is highly recommended to ensure that I am available to review the paperwork with the candidate. This process can be a little overwhelming, especially for a newcomer,” said Terri Cook, Belmont City Clerk. “I like to sit down and review each document to ensure the prospective candidate is familiar with all of the requirements. There’s more to it than just making the decision to run for office.” To be a candidate, you must be a registered voter in the City of Belmont.

For more information or to make an appointment for picking up a nomination packet, please contact the City Clerk’s office at 650-595-7413, or email the City Clerk at tcook@belmont.gov. Additional information regarding the nomination process can be found on the City’s website at www.belmont.gov (see “hot topics” or City Clerk’s page).

The deadline to register to vote for the November election is October 21.