Candidates seeking public office may begin filing August 25

There are seats up for election throughout the county

It’s not just time to think about going back to school. It is also election time, a chance for an ordinary Webster City resident to be a voice for the community.

That means that now is the time to file papers to serve on the Webster City Community School District Board of Education, the Kendall Young Library Board of Trustees, Fuller Hall Board of Trustees or the City Council of Webster City.

The first day to file nomination papers is Monday, August 25. The last day to file nomination papers is Thursday September 18, at 5 p.m. There are no filing fees in Iowa.

“I would encourage anyone interested to ask questions and get involved,” Kim Schaa, Hamilton County auditor, whose office is in charge of elections, said.

The election is on November 4.

Two seats on the Webster City school board are up for election: The terms of both Dave Stokes Eric Patterson expire at the end of this year.

The Kendall Young Library Board has two positions open — one expiring in 2026 and the other in 2027. Steve VandeZande’s term is up at the end of this year; Carol Yanda’s term will expire in 2027. This particular election is held only in odd-numbered years, so both terms will be on the ballot this fall.

Want to seek an office? The process is easy.

Candidates must complete a one-page affidavit of candidacy form and a nomination petition. These can be picked up at any of the city administration offices in the county, the school board secretary’s office, the auditors office at the Hamilton County Courthouse or by downloading the form from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website — www.sos.gov.

The qualifications to run for any office are fairly universal. One must be an eligible elector and must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Iowa and at least 18 years old. One cannot be a convicted felon, be judged incompetent to vote by a court, or claim the right to vote in any other place.

The application process also requires a number of signatures of neighbors, friends and residents who are in the same voting district who support the candidate. That number varies with the population and the position.

For example, to run for the City Council of Webster City and WCCSD board, Fuller Hall Board of Trustees or Kendall Young Library board, petitions need 50 signatures. South Hamilton schools need 26 signatures; the Stratford school board needs 10 signatures. For all other city council races in the county’s towns, 10 signatures are needed.

“So you want to be an elected official,” a book by author Heidi Olmstead asks. “In order to be effective, elected officials must work as part of a team to establish a shared vision for the future, develop goals and plans that make that future possible, and work with their colleagues and constituents to enact the local policies and laws that will ultimately lead to accomplishment.

“Holding a public office is an act of service to the public — that is, service to all the residents of a city or town, not just those who share your views or those who voted for you. It is a challenge that requires every office holder to rise above the fray, to reach beyond comfort zones, and to work with others with whom they may have significant differences.”

The following elected offices will be on the ballot.

Blairsburg