Filing period for City Council election to open July 18
The filing period for the 2022 City Council election is set to open on July 18, pitting three incumbents against a handful of local challengers all vying for a seat at the dais.
The filing period for local residents interested in running in the 2022 Santa Clarita City Council election is scheduled July 18 to Aug. 12. In the event that any incumbent council member does not file by 5 p.m. Aug. 12, the filing period for all non-incumbent candidates will be extended to 5 p.m. Aug. 17.
Prospective City Council candidates must secure the signatures of 20 to 30 registered city of Santa Clarita voters prior to filing the nomination paper. Each candidate is also required to file a statement of economic interests, disclosing investments and interests in real property at the time the nomination paper is returned for filing. There is no charge for filing nomination documents.
As of Tuesday, three incumbents — Mayor Laurene Weste, Councilwoman Marsha McLean and Councilman Bill Miranda — and six challengers — Douglas Fraser, David Barlavi, Aakash Ahuja, Joe Messina, Selina Thomas and Denise Lite — have already filed paperwork with the city clerk’s office indicating they will be pursuing one of the three seats up for grabs this election cycle.
For a fee, candidates may also prepare a statement to be included in the official sample ballot, which is mailed to voters. Statements may include the candidate’s name, age, occupation and brief description of no more than 200 words stating their education and qualifications. The estimated fees range from $2,600$10,400 depending on language, statement length and formatting chosen by the candidate.
Nomination documents will be made available by appointment beginning July 18, the start of the nomination period, in the City Clerk’s Office, at City Hall, Suite 120, located at 23920 Valencia Blvd.
Election office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except during holidays. Prospective candidates should call the City Clerk’s Office at 661255-4391 to schedule appointments to obtain and return materials for candidacy.
Anyone wishing to lend their signature to a potential candidate’s nomination paper must be a registered voter residing in the city of Santa Clarita at the time the nomination paper is issued. Each eligible voter may nominate up to three prospective candidates.
The top three vote-getters are expected to be sworn into office on Dec. 13 prior to the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. As a result of the city’s settlement of a lawsuit challenging the city’s “at-large” elections under the California Voting Rights Act, this is expected to be the final atlarge election. In 2024, it is expected the city will be divided into five districts, each of which will have its own elected council member.