WATERMAN TO RUN AS WRITE-IN CANDIDATE
Pontiac mayor failed to file campaign statements
Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman is running for her third term as mayor, but voters will not see her name on the ballot this fall.
On April 13, Waterman, who has served as mayor since 2014, signed and submitted an affidavit of identity to the city clerk’s office to be able to run for re-election as mayor this year.
Under Michigan Election Law, by signing this affidavit of identity, candidates are confirming that all campaign statements, reports, late filing fees, and fines had been filed or paid in full. These documents and fees are required to be submitted and paid before a candidate can file to run for elected office.
According to Joe Rozell, Oakland County elections director, at the time Waterman’s affidavit of identity was submitted to city clerk’s office, she had six overdue campaign statements including her 2020 annual report (due Feb. 1, 2021), 2020 October Quarterly Report (due Oct. 26, 2020), 2020 July Quarterly Report (due July 27, 2020), 2019 Annual Report (due Jan. 31, 2020), 2019 October Quarterly Report (due Oct. 25, 2019, and 2019 July Quarterly Report (due July 25, 2019).
The day before submitting her affidavit, Waterman paid $3,675 in overdue campaign filing fees to the county, according to campaign finance records. The late fees go all the way back to 2018 and involve nine documents, including annual and quarterly campaign statements.
On Wednesday, Rozell, sent a letter to Garland Doyle, Pontiac’s city clerk, notifying him that Waterman’s affidavit of identity had been received by the county, but that Waterman had six overdue statements due to the county. As a result, Rozell informed Doyle that he could not certify Waterman as a candidate for mayor to the city’s board of election commissioners.
Under section 4 of Michigan Election Law, “An officer shall not certify to the board of election commissioners the name of a candidate who fails to comply with this section, or the name of a candidate who executes an affi
davit of identity that contains a false statement with regard to any information or statement required under this section.” The law goes on the state that “making a false statement in the affidavit is perjury, punishable by a fine up to $1,000.00 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.”
What does this all mean for Waterman? Her name cannot appear on the ballot and she will have to run as a write-in candidate.
Waterman provided the following statement to The Oakland Press:
“As I always have, in my previous campaigns for
Mayor, I have followed all filing requirements. The frivolous challenge filed is part of a disturbing new pattern of voter suppression cropping up in various states: they want to prevent voters from casting a ballot for the candidates of their choosing. I never thought I’d see that in Pontiac, but we’re seeing it in various ways. The challenges will be quickly disposed of and I look forward to continuing the fight for progress, justice and inclusivity in Pontiac city government.”
As of Friday, five candidates had formally submitted paperwork to challenge Waterman, including former state representative Tim Greimel and former city councilman Mark Holland.