Qualifying will begin Monday
Rome and Cave Spring city halls will be ready to greet potential candidates Monday at 8:30 a.m.
Qualifying for the Nov. 3 general election kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Monday at Rome and Cave Spring city halls.
Six of the nine seats on the Rome City Commission are up for grabs, and Ward 3 Commissioner Kim Canada has said he does not intend to seek a new four-year term.
The other two Ward 3 commissioners, Bill Collins and Evie McNiece are expected to qualify to run, along with Ward 1 incumbents Bill Irmscher, Milton Slack III and Buzz Wachsteter. Political newcomer Craig McDaniel also has announced he will qualify for a Ward 3 seat.
Candidates must live in the wards where they run, although the vote is citywide. The top three vote-getters in each ward will take the seats in January.
Ward 1 is between the Etowah and Oostanaula rivers, including downtown and North Rome. Ward 3 is west of the Oostanaula and Coosa rivers, including West Rome and the area around Stonebridge Golf Club.
The qualifying fee is $252, which is 3 percent of a city commissioner’s $8,400 annual salary.
Qualifying runs through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Rome City Hall, 601 Broad St.
In Cave Spring, terms are ending Dec. 31 for Mayor Rob Ware, Post 1 Councilman Kenneth Agan and Post 2 Councilwoman Nellie McCain. Agan and McCain are expected to qualify but Ware has said he won’t seek re-election. Those are four-year terms. Post 4 Councilman Dennis Shoaf announced he plans to resign his seat and seek the mayoral slot. That would put his council seat on the ballot, as well, although the winner would serve just the remaining two years in the Post 4 term.
It costs $108 to qualify for mayor, and $45 for a council seat, equal to 3 percent of their respective annual salaries.
Qualifying runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Wednesday at City Hall, 10 Georgia Ave.
In both cities, candidates must be at least 21 years old, registered voters, and have lived within the city limits for 12 months prior to election day.