BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Editor
Although 2022 is an “off year” in terms of electing a president, it still promises to be an active year in Union County, as there are a number of local seats coming up for election (as well as a few state races as well).
Almost anyone can run for office, with requirements varying with the particular seat. There is still time for someone to “throw their hat in…” and seek office.
Union County Supervisor of Elections Deborah Osborne has prepared packets that prospective candidates may pick up at her office, located at 175 West Main St. in Lake Butler, but time is short for anyone wishing to do so.
Seats are up for election/re-election in the city, on the Union County School Board and on the Union County Commission. A person may run for only one office at a time, although changes are allowed should a candidate decide to run for an office different from the one they originally chose to run for, but forms will need to be refiled. In this case, contributions made to the candidate for the original choice must be refunded within 15 days, using a Request for Return of Contributions (Form DS-DE 86). All forms can be picked up at the SOE office and must be turned in there as well.
In the City of Lake Butler three seats are coming available. These seats are Seat 3 (currently held by Annette Redman, Seat 4 (currently held by Jimmy Beasley and Seat 5 (currently held by Fred Sirmones). Candidates must be a resident of the City of Lake Butler to be eligible to run. The salary of a city commissioner is $10,674, or $11,008 for the vice-mayor’s seat. All seats are “at large” positions, there is no division of the city into districts as there is on the county.
To begin, a prospective candidate must go to the SOE office and file Form DS-DE 9, which is an appointment of a Campaign Treasurer and the Designation of a Depository (bank). The prospective candidate may then open their campaign account – all donations must be deposited in this account and all expenses paid out of it. The opening of the bank account also means that the candidate may begin to collect signatures from registered voters in the city as a part of their qualifying process. IT should be noted that another form, a DS-DE 84, a Statement of Candidate, must be filed within 10 days of filing the DS-DE 9.
Qualifying is accomplished by paying a fee and collecting at least 20 signatures. These signatures are not from people who are promising to vote for you, but rather from people who are interested in seeing you run for the office. Signatures must match those on file at the elections office and a 10-cent fee per name is required for the comparisons of the petition signatures with these records. Osborne suggests that candidate get a few more signatures than the required 20 as some voters’ handwriting may have changed since they last gave their signature for election records.
Official qualifying, when candidates must turn in their qualifying fee (to be paid out of there campaign account), which is equal to one percent of a commissioners’ salary, plus a qualifying fee. The election will take place at the Lake Butler Hal Y. Maines Community Center on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, which will be open for voting from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
For commission seats the fees are $106.74 for the one percent and $25 qualifying fee (total $131.08). The Vice-Mayor seat total is $135.08 Signatures are also to be turned in and the fee paid for their confirmation. Other forms may need to be turned in, as well. The dates for qualifying are from noon May 23, 2022 through noon May 27, 2022. The election will be held, under Osborne’s supervision, on June 28, 2022 with polling places to be announced.
Three seats are up for election/re-election on the Union County School Board, with one of these seats having no incumbent seeking re-election (current Seat 1 holder, Allen Parrish, has announced that he will be retiring). Prospective candidates may qualify in one of two ways – either by paying the qualifying fee or by collecting a minimum number of petitions and turning them in with the appropriate fee.
School Board candidates must be a Union County resident, within the district for the seat they are seeking, at the time of qualifying. School Board seats are non-partisan (candidates have no official party affiliation).
Candidates seeking to qualify by the petition method must submit the required number for the seat they are running for by noon on May 16, 2022. A signature verification fee, of 10-cents per signature, is required to be paid at the time the signatures are turned in. Once the requirements have been met the candidate will receive a certification once the signatures have been verified.
School Board seats are up for vote in Districts One, Three (currently held by Curtis Clyatt) and Five (currently held by Terra Johnson). Each seat requires a different minimum number of signatures. For District One, the minimum number is 12; for District Three, the minimum number is 19 and for District Five, nine signatures are required. School Board candidates must be a resident of Union County and the district they are running for at the time of qualifying.
If running by paying the qualifying fee, funds must be paid at the SOE office between noon, Monday June 13, 2022 and noon, Friday June 17, 2022. The fees that must be paid to run for the Union County School Board are three percent of the position’s annual salary, for a School Board member the salary is $28,057 (three percent of this is $1,122.28) plus a one percent election assessment fee – total $1,122.28. All fees are to be paid from the candidates campaign account and are best paid at the SOE office. If mailed they must be received at the SOE office by the end of the qualifying period.
Two seats are up for election/retention on the Union County Board of Commissioners – Seat 2, currently held by Channing Dobbs and Seat 4, currently held by Lacey Cannon. Deadlines for the submission of forms and opening of accounts is the same for these seats in as outlined above, but these seats are partisan (the candidate stating the party he is running under). Partisan candidates must gather either 11 petition signatures for District 2 or 23 signatures for District 4. Candidates must be residents of Union County and their district at the time of election.
Partisan candidates for the Board of Commissioners pay the above a three percent filing fee, a one percent election assessment fee and an additional two percent party assessment fee. Candidates qualifying by paying the fees must turn in a total of $1,813.68 (or a total of 6 percent of the position’s annual salary of $30,228) by the qualifying deadline.
Once qualified and on the ballot, candidates my campaign for the office they are seeking, but in doing so they must follow some rules. All campaign related expenditures must be paid from their campaign account, either by check or with a debit card. There is a $1,000 limit per contributor, per election. No contributions may be received less than five days before the election. And, finally, any political advertisement paid for must contain the wording “Political Adv. Pd for and Approved by (candidate’s name). The rule about advertising does not include items worn by the candidate and his/her supporters (i.e. T-shirts and hats), novelty items (i.e. Pencils or pens with the candidates information and the creation of a no-cost website. Candidates are encouraged to keep good records for their campaign account, as it must be assured that they have met all of the legal requirements.
The Primary Election, for county candidates and for the state and Federal offices on the ballot this year, will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, with the General Election to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Early voting will take place for the primary from Aug. 13, 2022 through Aug. 20, 2022 and for the General Election from Oct. 29, 2022 to Nov. 5, 2022. Polling places will be announced at a later date.
Running for public office, as well as voting for your choice of candidate, are two of the greatest rights and privileges bestowed on Americans by our system of government. Participate in your government and consider what you might have to offer as a candidate, or, at the very least, get out and vote. For more information about becoming a candidate contact the office of the Supervisor of Elections at the above address, or call (386) 496-2236. The web address is www.unionflvotes.com.
Folk Fest in Melrose
Ten of the finest singer-songwriters from the North Florida Folk Network will be our featured artists for a one day only concert at the NFFN Spring Folk Fest! The show will be between 3-9 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, at Junction 21, located at 322 SR 26, Melrose, FL 32666.
This fun and family friendly outdoor event is free and open to the public. You will hear the full spectrum of acoustic folk music genres, from old to new, blues to country, traditional to alternative and more, which offers a little something for all acoustic music enthusiasts.
Bring your lawn chair (service animals are welcome) and enjoy an evening with from some of the best acoustic acts from all over Northeast Florida from John French, Chuck Hardwicke, Bill “Gator” Greene, Lee Hunter and Joey Kerr, Pete Garfinkel, Sweet William Ennis, Skip Flatt, Chris Kastle, Under Dawg, and Ryan Lane.
Artists will have their cd’s and merchandise for sale on site. Food truck, parking and cold beverages available at Chiapini’s!
For more information please contact Cindy Bear at (904) 626-2829, or [email protected].
This concert is sponsored by the North Florida Folk Network.
