City election filing period begins

All 10 mayor positions in Clay County and 35 council seats will be on the ballot as the filing period for the Nov. 3 city elections begins.

Monday marks the first day candidates can file nomination papers with the city clerk's office. Prospective candidates have until 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, to turn the papers in if they want to appear on the ballot.

Nomination petitions can be obtained at the city clerk's office, the Clay County Auditor's Office or they can be downloaded at the Iowa Secretary of State's Web site. Completed paperwork should be submitted to the city clerk's office.

Mayor Reynold Peterson is completing his third two-year term and his office will be on the ballot. At-large council member David Scott is nearing the end of a four-year team.

Voters in Ward 1 will decide the seat currently held by George Kruger. The Ward 3 seat held, by Steve Bomgaars, and the Ward 5 seat, held by Ron Hanson, are set to expire.

Spencer voters will also consider a pair of positions on the Spencer Hospital Board of Trustees. Neal Conover and Gary VanHofwegen hold the positions with terms set to expire in the 2009 election cycle.

Candidates need at least 25 signatures to appear on the ballot in Spencer, but City Clerk Donna Fisher recommends 50 signatures for the citywide offices of mayor, at-large council member and hospital trustee. She recommends 35 signatures for the council seats in wards 1, 3 and 5.

"That's to give a margin of error in case somebody signs who forgot where they are registered or something -- so we don't end up losing a candidate because we lose a signature," she said.

At least 10 signatures are needed to hold office in Dickens, Everly, Fostoria, Peterson, Royal and Webb. Five signatures are needed on petitions circulated in Rossie, Gillett Grove and Greenville.

Here's an overview of incumbents with terms set to expire, according to the most recent information available at the Clay County Auditor's Office. Some office-holders' names may have changed due to resignations or other circumstances:

* The mayor is Clifford Nissen in Dickens. His office will be joined on the ballot by council seats held by Anelique Norgaard Adams and Mark Jones.

* Mayor Verland "Bud" Meyer is the incumbent in Everly. Seats held by council members Ronald Thomson and Jeannett Trojahn are set to expire. Everly voters will fill a third seat on the council due to a vacancy created by Steve Rank's resignation.

* Mayor Marlin Voss has a term set to expire in Fostoria. Seats held by Charles Spark, Aaron Rutter and Jim Shatto are also on the ballot.

* The mayor's office, held by Gary Finley and all five seats on the Gillett Grove City Council are up for election.

* Mayor Lisa Scott's office and all five city council seats will be on the Greenville ballot.

* Jon Bang's term as mayor is set to expire in Peterson. Council seats held by Scott Brown, Rick Delutri and Jacquie Rothrock also are set to expire.

* Eric Krieger is the acting mayor in Rossie and the mayor's seat is up for election. All five city council seats have terms set to expire.

* The mayor's seat held by Pam Virelli has a term set to expire. Two council seats held by Bill Burgeson and Becky Smoot also will expire.

* Kenneth Essick's current term as mayor in Webb is nearing an end. That office and city council seats held by Duane Drees, Dan Loving and Troy Mayland will be on the municipal ballot.