Chapter 3.16
QUALIFICATIONS FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE
Sections:
3.16.020 Declaration of candidacy.
3.16.030 Public financial disclosure statements.
3.16.040 Corrections and amendments of declarations of candidacy.
3.16.050 Review of candidate qualifications.
3.16.090 Candidate biographical information and nonpartisan position statement.
3.16.010 Qualifications.
A candidate for City Mayor or City Council must be a qualified voter of the State of Alaska who has resided within the City for a period of one year preceding the period for filing a declaration of candidacy. An elected person may hold only one elective seat at a time. (Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.020 Declaration of candidacy.
A. A candidate for municipal office is nominated by executing a declaration of candidacy under oath and a properly and fully completed public financial disclosure statement that complies with the requirements of State law.
B. A declaration of candidacy shall be in a form provided by the City Clerk and shall state the following:
1. The full name of the candidate and the manner in which he/she wishes his/her name to appear on the ballot;
2. The full residence and mailing addresses of the candidate;
3. The office for which the candidate declares;
4. That the candidate is qualified for the office as provided by law;
5. The candidate shall certify information contained in the declaration of candidacy is true and accurate;
6. The date and notarized statement of the candidate;
7. Any other information that the City Clerk reasonably requires to determine whether the candidate is qualified for the office as provided by law.
C. Declarations of candidacy shall be provided by the City Clerk.
D. Filing for elective offices of Mayor or City Council shall be made by filing a declaration of candidacy with the City Clerk from July 15th through July 29th, 5:00 p.m. Should July 15th be a Saturday or Sunday, candidates shall begin filing the declaration on the first Monday following the weekend. Should July 29th be a Saturday or Sunday, candidates shall have until 5:00 p.m. on the first Monday following to file their declaration.
E. Any candidate desiring to withdraw his declaration of candidacy may do so at any time during the period for filing a declaration of candidacy and at any time during the next five days after the filing deadline. All declarations of candidacy which are not withdrawn shall be preserved by the Clerk for one year.
F. A person may not occupy more than one office at one time. A person shall not be a candidate for more than one seat on a body.
G. A $25 (twenty-five-dollar) nonrefundable filing fee shall accompany the declaration of candidacy. (Ord. 16-01 § 2, 2016; Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.030 Public financial disclosure statements.
A. Candidates for elective City office and declared write-in candidates shall file a public financial disclosure statement with the City Clerk as required by the provisions of AS 39.50 at the time of filing a declaration of candidacy. The name of the candidate shall be placed on the ballot by the City Clerk only after the candidate has complied with this requirement.
B. Each candidate also shall file the name and address of the campaign treasurer with the Alaska Public Offices Commission no later than seven days after the date of filing for office. The name of the candidate shall be placed on the ballot by the City Clerk only after the candidate has complied with this requirement. (Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.040 Corrections and amendments of declarations of candidacy.
A declaration of candidacy presented shall not be changed as to term of office. If a candidate desires to file for a different seat, he shall withdraw in accordance with NPMC 3.16.020(D), request a new form from the City Clerk and file in accordance with NPMC 3.16.020. (Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.050 Review of candidate qualifications.
The City Clerk shall determine whether each candidate for City office is qualified as provided by law. At any time before the election the City Clerk may disqualify any candidate whom the Clerk finds is not qualified and immediately notify that candidate by certified mail. (Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.060 Prohibitions.
A. A person may not serve simultaneously as Mayor and as a Council member.
B. No elected official of the City may hold any other compensated City office or City employment, or elected position in the Borough, State or Federal government, while in office.
C. No person shall be a candidate for more than one City seat at any election. (Ord. 14-19 § 2, 2014; Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.070 Terms of office.
A. The term of office for the City Mayor and Councilperson is three years or until a successor is elected and qualified. Service is to begin on the first Monday following certification of the election. No person who has been elected as City Mayor or Councilperson for two full successive terms shall be again eligible to hold that office until one full year has intervened.
B. The City Mayor is elected at large by all the qualified voters of the City.
C. A Councilperson is elected at large by all the qualified voters of the City. (Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.080 Filling vacancies.
A. The City Clerk shall publish in one or more papers of general circulation in the Borough a notice of offices to be filled at the election and the procedure for filing a declaration of candidacy for the offices.
B. Notice shall be published the first and third weeks of June for regular elections.
C. If a vacancy occurs in an elective office during the term of office, except in the case of recall or the office of the Mayor, the Council shall fill the vacancy by appointment. See Charter Section 2.14. (Ord. 16-01 § 2, 2016; Ord. 05-09 § 2, 2005)
3.16.090 Candidate biographical information and nonpartisan position statement.
A. Qualified candidates for City Mayor and City Council may provide biographical and nonpartisan information in accordance with this section to be compiled by the City Clerk into a candidate pamphlet.
B. On a form prescribed by the City Clerk, candidates may submit their biographical information, nonpartisan position statement, and recent photograph to the City Clerk’s office. In order to be included in the candidate pamphlet, submissions must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., ten business days following the close of the filing period for a regular city election and no later than 5:00 p.m., five business days following the close of the filing period for a special city election.
C. The biographical information and the nonpartisan position statement may not exceed four hundred words. Articles such as “a,” “an,” and “the” will be counted as words. Biographical information and nonpartisan position statements must be typewritten and may be submitted in person, by mail, or electronically.
D. Candidate photographs should be a clear image of only the candidate, taken recently, and be of a quality suitable for reproduction. Photographs may be submitted in person, by mail, or electronically.
E. The City Clerk shall reject any information or photograph that is not in compliance with this section. The City Clerk shall reject any portion of a candidate’s biographical information or position statement deemed by the City Clerk to be obscene, libelous, profane, defamatory, or affiliated with any political party.
F. The City Clerk shall compile and make available to the public a candidate pamphlet containing all information submitted in accordance with this section. The pamphlet will be available to the public no later than thirty days prior to a regular election and no later than fifteen days prior to a special election and will, at a minimum, be published on the city website. Paper copies will be available at the City Clerk’s office.
G. The City Clerk will add a disclaimer to the candidate pamphlet noting that the candidate information and photograph are presented as submitted by the candidate without any changes to grammar, spelling, or punctuation and that the City has not verified the accuracy of the information provided by candidates. (Ord. 22-15 § 2, 2022)