YOU IN OR OUT? Running for city council? Your form must be turned in by
5pm on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Have you ever had a burning desire to serve on the Eau Claire City Council? Now is your big chance, but the window of opportunity is closing soon.

Five at-large council seats are up for grabs in the April 2 election, and three of those seats are wide open because the incumbents – Larry Balow, Jackie Pavelski and Thomas Vue – have said they won’t seek re-election. The other two at-large seats are held by Mark Olson, who was first elected in 2010, and Catherine Emmanuelle, who was appointed to the council in September to fill the seat vacated by Dana Wachs, who will take office in the state Assembly in January. Olson and Emmanuelle have both said they will be candidates.

Because an unusual number of seats are truly up for grabs, Eau Claire residents have a rare opportunity to become directly involved in their city government, making decisions about budgets, parks, streets, emergency services, downtown redevelopment, and plenty of other critical topics.

To run, candidates must be eligible voters living in the city of Eau Claire. That’s the easy part. The harder part is completing the paperwork and collecting the necessary signatures from fellow Eau Clairians. Time is tight: Forms must be turned in by 5pm on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Want to run? Here’s what to do. Go to the city clerk’s office on the third floor of City Hall, 203 S. Farwell St., to get a declaration of candidacy, a campaign registration statement and nomination papers. To complete the nomination papers, you’ll need a little help from your friends, namely the signatures of 200 to 400 of them who are eligible voters living in the city.

In addition to incumbents Olson and Emmanuelle, as of Dec. 21 city resident Michael Turner had turned in a declaration of candidacy, and city officials said several others had picked up paperwork but not turned it in yet. If necessary, the candidates will face off in a Feb. 19 primary, and the final slate of winners will be elected April 2.

Want to join the list of hopefuls and potentially represent your friends and neighbors on the council? Then get down to City Hall pronto!