The City of Santa Clarita’s 2016 General Municipal Election will be consolidated with the Los Angeles County General Election and will be held on November 8, 2016.

Registered voters in the City of Santa Clarita will have the opportunity to elect two members of the five-member City Council, for a term of four years each. These seats are presently occupied by incumbents Mayor Bob Kellar and Councilmember TimBen Boydston.

The filing period for local residents interested in running in the 2016 Santa Clarita City Council election will open Monday, July 18, and continue through Friday, August 12. The consolidated election will be held Tuesday, November 8.

Prospective City Council candidates must secure the signatures of 20 to 30 registered City voters prior to filing nomination paperwork. If any incumbent councilmember chooses not to file nomination papers by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 12, the filing period for non-incumbent candidates will be extended to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17.

Each candidate is 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 papers.

Nomination papers and candidate handbooks will be available beginning July 18, 2016, in the City Clerk’s Office, at City Hall, Suite 120, located at 23920 Valencia Blvd. Election office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except during holidays.

Any City resident wishing to lend their signature to a potential candidate’s nomination paperwork must be a registered voter 18 years of age or older at the time nomination papers are issued, reside in the city of Santa Clarita, and be a citizen of the United States. Each eligible voter may nominate up to two prospective candidates.

For a fee, candidates may also prepare a statement to be included in the sample ballot materials and mailed to voters. Statements may include the candidate’s name, occupation, and brief description of no more than 200 words stating their education and qualifications. The estimated fees are $1,700 for printing the candidate statement in English only and $3,400 for English and Spanish translations and is payable when nomination papers are filed.

Prospective candidates should call the City Clerk’s Office at (661) 255-4391 to schedule an appointment for the approximate 30-minute process to obtain or to return materials for candidacy.

The two top vote-getters are expected to be sworn into office on December 13, 2016 just prior to the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting.

For more information on the 2016 Santa Clarita City Council Election, including results of past City Council elections, please visit votesantaclarita.com.