The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Because Waitsburg is governed under its original charter, the city must elect, or re-elect, its city council and mayor each year. Deadlines for this year’s elections are quickly approaching and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said there seems to be a renewed interest among citizens in running for public office this year.

At the February 17 city council meeting, Hinchliffe informed the current council that the upcoming ballot slate will be set before the next council meeting. The top vote recipients – five for council and one for Mayor – will be elected to one-year terms.

Caucuses may only be held between 35 and 25 days prior to the election, which takes place the first Monday in April. Hinchliffe said the caucus window opens on Feb. 29 and runs for ten days, closing on March 10, this year. Anyone wishing to run a caucus must do so between those dates.

Declarations of candidacy are accepted at City Hall beginning the first Monday in March, for ten days. This year those dates are Mon., March 7 through Fri., March 18. Ballots will go out the following Monday.

“I’ve gotten a lot of interest this year. There seems to be quite a bit of excitement in the city. If you’re looking for a time to step away, this might be it,” Hinchliffe told members of the council. “It looks like we’re going to have a pretty full ballot.”