Battle Creek City Commissioner (insert your name here)

Battle Creek City Commissioner (insert your name here).    How's it sound?   If you've thought about serving your city as an elected commissioner, the first step is to pick up a packet at city hall, and get some signatures.  Starting now.    Getting signatures is a little tough these days, with COVID-19 precautions, but you have until July 21st.   The election is November 3rd.  All nine seats on the commission are available this year.

This will be the first city election where citizens will specifically vote for Battle Creek mayor.   City Clerk Victoria Houser says voters will elect three At-Large commissioners, one mayor, and five ward commissioners.   She says each candidate must designate the specific office they are seeking, in the space at the top of the petition, and they must do it before gathering any signatures.

At-large and mayoral candidates must be registered voters in the City of Battle Creek, and collect at least 100 – but not more than 150 – valid signatures from other Battle Creek registered voters.

In the March primary election, Battle Creek voters approved the mayor as a separate office. Mayor candidates may not run for a city commission seat at the same time.
Candidates for the five city wards must be registered voters, and live in the wards in which they are running. They must collect 50 – but not more than 75 – valid signatures from Battle Creek voters registered in their ward.

City leaders have their work cut out for them, with the financial challenges brought on by COVID-19.  There will be tough decisions made by the existing city commission and tough decision to be made by the next one too.

Candidates must return completed petitions and Affidavits of Identity by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 to the City Clerk’s Office, Room 111, 10 N. Division Street.

This, and other important information, as well as links to other documents candidates must complete, is available at the city’s website.

A direct link to the forms for city commission candidates, via the state, is here:   Look in the top section, “Filing for Office.” You can also find information at the Calhoun County website.

With the exception of the petitions and Affidavit of Identity, which are available at the clerk’s office, all documents are available electronically.

For hard copies of any other documents, please request them from the clerk’s office, 269-966-3348. While City Hall is closed to the public, staff will meet you at the door with the petition packet. When you are ready to return the petition, call again, and staff will meet you.