Seward residents interested in serving on the city council have until this Friday to apply for a seat left open by the resignation of council member Dale Butts last August.
The only qualifications for applicants are that they must be an “elector” of the city — or someone who has the right to vote — and they must have resided in the city for at least a year as of the date that they submit their applications. Brenda Ballou, Seward city clerk, said Tuesday that the city council candidates who lost the October election are eligible to apply for this seat if they wish to do so.
Ballou said that, as of Tuesday afternoon, only one complete application had been received — submitted by former city council member Ristine Casagranda.
Butts submitted his resignation to the city council on July 27, stating that he would be moving to Oregon pursue a career in education. The city council accepted his resignation during their Aug. 10 meeting.
Seward recently held municipal elections in which two city council seats were on the ballot, but because Butts submitted his resignation during the candidate filing period for those elections, the city was unable to add his seat to the October ballot, Ballou said during the Aug. 10 meeting.
Instead, the Seward City Council will meet on Oct. 26 to appoint one of the applicants to Butts’ seat, which is set to expire in 2022.
Application forms are available at the Seward City Clerk’s office. Completed forms as well as financial disclosure/conflict of interest statements must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16.
Ballou said that a complete candidate packet should include a financial disclosure statement, a declaration of candidacy and a letter of interest.
“The letters of interest will be included in the Oct. 26 packet for the city council meeting, and each candidate is invited to come to the meeting and make a statement to the council about their candidacy,” Ballou said in an email. “Whomever gets appointed that night will take their oath and sit at the dais immediately.”
For more information, contact the Seward City Clerk’s Office at 907-224-4045.
Reach reporter Brian Mazurek at bmazurek@peninsulaclarion.com.
