Monday morning, interested Morgan Hill citizens can make public
their intention to run for office – as a trustee on the Morgan Hill
Board of Education or as a member of the Morgan Hill City Council –
when filing for the November election officially opens.
Monday morning, interested Morgan Hill citizens can make public their intention to run for office – as a trustee on the Morgan Hill Board of Education or as a member of the Morgan Hill City Council – when filing for the November election officially opens.
The filing window closes four weeks later on Aug. 6, unless an incumbent does not file for re-election, which then extends the time period five working days, for everyone except that incumbent.
On the School Board, there will be four seats to fill, as Board President George Panos and Trustees Del Foster and Jan Masuda have said they will not run again. Former Trustee Tom Kinoshita resigned in March; the board voted fill the vacant seat during the November election.
Trustees Shellé Thomas, currently serving as board vice president, Amina Khemici and Mike Hickey are halfway through their first four-year terms.
The seats held by Panos, Foster and Masuda are for four-year terms. The winner of Kinoshita’s seat will be for two years.
On the city side, the mayor’s seat is up for re-election, and Mayor Dennis Kennedy has thrown his hat into the ring, as has Councilman Greg Sellers. Councilman Steve Tate and Sellers are not up for re-election; Councilwoman Hedy Chang’s seat is available. She was not available comment Thursday concerning election plans.
Councilman Larry Carr is leaning toward seeking a second four-year term.
City Clerk Irma Torrez and City Treasurer Mike Roorda have also indicated they would run again.
In May, both School Board trustees and City Council members took votes which could affect the number of candidates.
Trustees voted 5-0 to change board policy so the district will no longer pay filing fees.
During discussion, Thomas said she was concerned that fewer candidates would come forward if the district no longer paid the filing fees, which have roughly tripled since the November 2002 election, from $600 to approximately $1,800.
Panos said the higher fee would be a measure of commitment on the part of potential candidates.
“Candidates would have to step up to the plate, put their money where their mouth is,” he said. “The $1,800 is a pledge, so to speak. If they are truly interested, they can raise the money … I would like to look at making this a permanent revision (to board policy).”
Council members examined the $38,841 estimated by the Registrar of Voters as the cost to the city of election a mayor, two council members, the city clerk and city treasurer.
Broken down, the registrar charges $3,884 for each candidate statement on the ballot; cost of each ballot measure is $13,710. City Clerk Irma Torrez, who wrote the staff report, pointed out that, while the positions do come with a stipend, it is small. The mayor is paid $800 a month, council $300 a month and city clerk and city treasurer, $200 a month each.
Election costs to the city has increased with the purchase of electronic voting machines – spread out over five years – and the need to print ballots in five languages instead of two.
Seven cities in Santa Clara County currently charge for candidate statements – six assess the actual cost and one, only charging half if the candidate limits campaign contributions to $25,000.
Local voters also will cast ballots on U.S. Senate, state Assembly and Senate races, and with the rest of the nation, a president.
