Election papers due on Monday So far, only Cote and Stanley have handed in for mayoral bids By Shawn p. Sullivan Sanford News Editor Thursday, September 19, 2013 SANFORD — Those who wish to run for office during this November’s election have until this Monday, Sept. 23, to hand in their nomination papers, signatures and all. City Clerk Sue Cote reports that, as of Tuesday morning, only two candidates, Budget Committee member Tom Cote and Chamber of Commerce President Rick Stanley have turned in their papers for their bids to become the first elected mayor in Sanford’s history. The current interim mayor, Maura Herlihy, has taken out papers but has not yet returned them to the clerk’s office. Two other likely candidates for mayor, Councilor Brad Littlefield and former Finance Committee member Victor DiGregorio, have not returned their papers to the clerk’s office as of Tuesday, either. Both men also have taken out nomination papers for the one three-year term on the city council that’s up for grabs this season. By Monday, they will have to choose whether they officially want to run for mayor or for councilor. The mayor’s term is for three years. In addition to Littlefield and DiGregorio, four other candidates also have taken out nomination papers for that one three-year seat on the city council — incumbent Ken Burgess and residents Dianne Connolly, Grady Fox and Robert Ege. As of Tuesday, only Connolly has turned in her papers, according to Cote. Article II, Section 202, of the city charter provides the guidelines for how this particular election will go. Right now, Sanford has a seven-member city council in which one of the councilors — Herlihy — is serving as interim mayor. This upcoming election eliminates one of the council seats, replaces it with the mayoral position, and leaves one additional seat for which incumbents and newcomers can vie. That’s how you get Herlihy, Littlefield and Burgess, all incumbents and likely candidates this fall, running for only two separate seats. If Herlihy hands in her nomination papers by Monday and is elected mayor in November, the council then will have to appoint someone to serve the remainder of her term as councilor, which ends Dec. 31, 2014. If Herlihy runs and loses her mayoral bid, she will still have her seat as a councilor. The two seats affected in this race — the soon-to-be mayor’s position and a second one — are currently occupied by Littlefield and Burgess. As for the Sanford School Committee, there are two seats in the running, both for three-years terms. Committee members Robert Gendron and Don Jamison are the incumbents; as of Tuesday, neither had handed in the nomination papers they have taken out from city hall. School committee appointee John Roux and residents Kristen Wiegand and Thomas Miscio also have taken out nomination papers but have not yet returned them. As well, there is one year of an unfinished term on the school committee on November’s ballot. This open position is the final year of member Adam Cote’s term. Cote resigned from his position earlier this summer and is now serving with his Maine Army National Guard unit in Afghanistan. The school committee appointed Roux to serve in Cote’s place until after the election; Roux has also taken out nomination papers for this unfinished term and will have to decide by Monday whether he wants to pursue this one or one of the three-year stints. Miscio also has taken out papers for this partial term and is in the same position as Roux. Also on the ballot is one three-year term as a trustee of the Sanford Water District. Roger Durant is the incumbent, and has taken out and returned his nomination papers. As of Tuesday, no one has come forward to challenge him. As well, there are two three-year terms available as a trustee of the Sanford Sewerage District. Kevin Eaton and Jonathan Brock Adam are the incumbents, and both have taken out nomination papers but had not returned them as of Tuesday morning. Newcomer Sherwin Stewart, however, has taken out papers in pursuit of one of the terms and has handed them in to the city clerk as well. Missing from the ballot this year, for the first time in decades: vacancies for Town Meeting members. Under the city charter that voters approved last year, the Annual Town Meeting in May was eliminated in favor of voters deciding whether to pass or reject the proposed municipal and school budgets at the polls in June. If you’re thinking of running for office but have not taken out nomination papers, there are a few guidelines to consider. To run, you must live in Sanford and be a registered voter here. You also must take out nomination papers from the city clerk’s office at City Hall at 919 Main Street and return them by 5 p.m. this Monday, Sept. 23, with a minimum of 50 signatures from registered Sanford voters. Two exceptions: those running to be trustees of either the water or sewerage districts only need to collect 25 signatures. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. For more information, please call City Clerk Sue Cote at 324-9125.
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 09:25:04 +0000
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