Thinking of running for office in Bay?

Nancy Stainbrook, accompanied by her husband, David, is sworn in to fill the term of a Bay Village City Council at-large seat on Feb. 27. Stainbrook’s seat, along with those of all four City Council ward reps, Council president, mayor and three school board members, will be open this November.

Do you have it in you to be mayor? President of City Council? Maybe a member of City Council or the Board of Education? This could be your year!

Seven of the eight Bay Village city offices will be up for election in November. In addition, three Bay Village Board of Education seats are open. Bay's elections are nonpartisan: your party membership, if any, is irrelevant. A primary election is used only to narrow the field for city offices to two candidates. If needed, it will be held on Sept. 12. The general election is Nov. 7.

To increase candidate visibility and help voters gather the information they need, Bay's League of Women Voters chapter will hold candidate forums and produce voter guides.

Bay Village City Offices

The mayor is elected to a 4-year term, with a salary of $86,120 in 2017. As the City's CEO, the mayor is responsible for operations, while City Council passes laws and resolutions and sets the budget. The president of Council and the at-large members have 4-year terms. However, in 2017 the Council president will be elected for two years to fill an unexpired term. Bay has four wards, each represented by a member of Council for a 2-year term. Pay is $9,790 for Council president and $8,635 for other members.

Bay Board of Education

The school board creates a vision for the school district. They set educational goals and establish policies based on state laws and community values. They do not manage day-to-day operations; rather, they ensure that the system is managed well by professionals. Compensation is nominal, at about $2,700.

Getting Started

Running for office is straightforward, but you need a good eye for details. Your first step should be to attend meetings in order to understand the issues and carefully evaluate whether the position is a good fit for you.

Next, spend some time reviewing the candidate sections of the Secretary of State and Cuyahoga County Board of Elections websites. (Be sure to review campaign finance reporting requirements!) Then visit the Board of Elections Candidate & Petition Services Department to get answers to any questions and to pick up your petitions.

To appear on the ballot, you must file a petition with the required number of residents' signatures. Petitions are due June 14 for city offices and Aug. 9 for the Board of Education. However, it's not too soon to begin: as of March 6, one petition has been validated, with nine more in process.

Eyes on the Prize

This year's election is rare in the number of offices open. It is a unique opportunity for citizens to become engaged, both as candidates and as voters. Regardless of which candidates win the election, our wonderful city will win if you are involved!

Read More on Bay Village
Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 9:33 AM, 03.07.2017