5 (So Far) Throw Hat in City Council Ring

Belmont City Clerk Terri Cook is expecting a busy election season. 

With the next regularly scheduled Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 5, and already five candidates raising their hands to fill three city council seats, it appears things are starting to heat up.

According to Cook, the five Belmont residents who have filed 501 forms (Declaration of Candidacy) for Belmont City Council seats are: Eric Reed, Gladwyn D’Souza, Kristin Mercer, Charles Stone, Michael Verdone. D'Souza and Mercer currently serve on the city's planning commission.

Three Council Member seats will be contested, each for four-year terms: Coralin Feierbach, Warren Lieberman, and Dave Warden. There are no term limits in Belmont and all three incumbents are eligible to run for re-election. None of the three have yet to file their candidacy papers.

"The primary reason that candidates formally declare before the nomination period opens is because they want to fundraise or spend money and they cannot do so without filing this form. Two of the five have also sent in their paperwork to the Secretary of State to register their campaign committees. This is the first time in my memory that Belmont candidates have filed before the nomination period, although it’s pretty common in other cities," said Cook in an email.

The official nomination period for the Nov. 5 election opens on Monday, July 15, 2013. However, anyone interested in becoming a candidate for office may do so at any time by filing a Candidate Intention Form (Form 501) with the City Clerk’s Office. By law, candidates may not raise campaign funds until such time as they have formally declared themselves to be a candidate by filing the Form 501.

For more information or for 501 and 410 forms, go to the FPPC (Fair Political Practices Commission) webpage, www.fppc.ca.gov. Or, contact the Belmont City Clerk at cclerk@belmont.gov or 650-595-7413.

Additional resources can be found on the CountyElection website at www.shapethefuture.org.