Filing opens April 22 for city election; mayor, two commission seats up for election
Filing for the city election opens April 22.
The mayor and two commission seats will be on the ballot, along with 45 Neighborhood Council seats.
Bob Kelly is the current mayor and the mayor’s term is two years.
Mary Moe and Owen Robinson’s seats are both up for election this year. Commission seats are four-year terms.
City election [2019] results: Houck, Tryon win
The election is a November mail ballot and the number of candidates determines whether a primary is required.
Each of the city’s nine Neighborhood Councils has five seats each for two-year terms.
All newly elected officials take office in January.
Per city code, the salary of each commissioner is $312 per month and the mayor’s monthly salary is $468.
Filing opens April 22 and runs through June 21. Anyone interested must complete a Declaration for Nomination and Oath of Candidacy form at the Cascade County Election Office, 325 2nd Ave. N.
To be eligible for any of the positions, candidates must be residents of Great Falls and be registered to vote.
Those seeking a commission seat must be a resident of Great Falls for at least 60 days preceding the election. Mayoral candidates must be at least 21 years of age and have been a resident of Montana for at least three years and a resident of Great Falls for at least two years preceding the election, according to the City Clerk’s office.
Nominees for election to a Neighborhood Council must be residents of their designated neighborhood district.
The fees to file are $56.16 for mayor, $37.44 for commissioner and $0 for Neighborhood Council representatives.
If the Cascade County Election Administrator determines that a primary election needs to be held, the primary election will be Sept. 14. The general election will be Nov. 2.
The City of Great Falls operates under the Commission-Manager form of government and the commission serves as the city’s legislative and policy-making body. The commission employs the city manager who directs the daily operations of the city. Commission meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month.
In 1996, a Local Government Study Commission recommended the formation of Neighborhood Councils in Great Falls to provide opportunities for citizen involvement in city government. The proposal was placed on the ballot and was approved. Since that time, Neighborhood Councils have operated in an advisory capacity and as liaisons to city staff, the commission and residents. Neighborhood Council meetings take place monthly.
Additional information about the upcoming 2021 municipal election is available here or contact the Cascade County Election Office at 454-6803; Lisa Kunz, city clerk at 455-8451; or, Lanni Klasner, Neighborhood Council liaison, at 455-8496.
