Your city council is the local legislature that handles things that affect your community most directly. Learn everything you need to know on How to Run for City Council.
There’s no way the people who are in office could make worse decisions, is there?
You could do better if you were there instead.
Well, at least you think so.
Maybe you don’t have the time to set everything aside and dive head-first into a campaign for Congress, or the State Assembly, but you do have enough time to make a difference.
Maybe the place you can make that difference is on your local city council.
Looking to run for City Council?
What Does a City Council Do?
Your city council is the local legislature that handles things that affect your community most directly. City Councils typically meet twice a month, every other week. It sets the city’s annual budget and decides how to spend that money. This alone is an enormous responsibility because most city budgets reach into the tens (sometimes hundreds) of millions of dollars. There’s a reason for the old political saying that “budgets are policy” – the reason being it’s true.
Depending on where you live, the city council also handles things like staffing the local police and fire departments. The city council decides how many meter maids the city has and how much to pay them. The city council sets policies about local land use and on such important day-to-day things as parking zones and street repairs. Being on your city council is a way to have a say in all of these things.
What Does It Take to Run for City Council?
The requirements to run for office are different in different places, but generally, if you want to run for city council you must be: (1) a registered “elector” in your city or district, (2) collect signatures (normally about 30) from registered voters in the city or district where you intend to run, and (3) comply with the state and local campaign finance requirements.
Yes, it is just that easy.
You don’t have to have a long record of political involvement, political party approvals, or any special permissions to get your name on the ballot. You just need to be a qualified elector in your city or district and collect enough signatures to qualify. That’s it.
The nomination period for November elections typically opens sometime in July and closes in mid-August, so if you want to run you have time to collect the signatures and get your campaign organized.
Raising Money?
You’ll also probably need to raise money, although it is perfectly acceptable (and quite common) for candidates to “self-fund” their campaigns. Or at least provide that initial cash infusion to get the campaign off-the-ground.
If you choose to raise money, you should check to see if there are contribution limits in your city, and make sure that you only accept contributions from people and entities who are legally allowed to make them. Taking money from foreign nationals is generally verboten no matter where you are.
Many Southern California cities limit individual campaign contributions. In Newport Beach for example, individual contributions are limited to $1,300 per election. In nearby Laguna Beach, the limit is only $440. Make sure you know if there’s a limit in your city and if there is, that you don’t exceed it.
You’ll also need to check with your city’s City Clerk to make sure you comply with the various campaign reporting requirements. In every election there are regular, statutorily set windows for disclosing how much money you’ve raised, what you’ve spent that money on, and who gave it to you. This is an important aspect of any campaign, and failure to comply with the reporting requirements can expose you to serious repercussions. Don’t monkey with the finance laws.
That’s it! If you’re thinking about running, watch this space for more tips and information. And sign-up for your City Report at ElectionContender.com.
Do you want to know all about your City? Get your City Report now!
Michael Beener @Unsplash