BELFAST - Nomination papers for a total of five seats on the City Council and RSU 20 board of directors are due by the end of the month. As of Friday, only one candidate had officially thrown his hat in the ring.

Low turnout at this stage is fairly common. A 25-signature minimum to get on the ballot for City Council means incumbents and would-be candidates can wait until the last minute, and often they do.

But with a pre-Labor Day deadline, even this takes a little foresight.

This year, Council Wards 1, 2 and 5 are up for grabs. Councilors serve two-year terms. The RSU 20 board seats on the November ballot carry three–year terms.

Ward 1

Councilor Mary Mortier took out nomination papers after telling The Penobscot Bay Pilot last week that she will seek a second term. As of Monday morning, she had not yet returned the forms and had no challengers for the seat.

Ward 2

Councilor Roger Lee’s name will not be on the Ward 2 ballot for the first time since 2006. The longest standing member of the current City Council said he will not seek a fifth term. Eight years, he said, was “long enough.”

Neal Harkness has returned papers for Ward 2 and is currently the only candidate for the open seat.

As chairman of the Waldo County Democrats, Harkness is not new to politics, but this will be his first bid for City Council. Asked on Thursday why he decided to run, he said during the nine years he’s lived in Belfast he’s always felt welcome in the city and was looking for a way to give back.

Harkness has done a variety of volunteer work. In particular, he noted his experience as a driver for Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) over the past five years. Working for the social service organization, he said he’s come to know residents who live very different lives than the professionals and creative types of his social circle.

“I kind of feel like I’ve got a foot in each camp, where I can maybe see both sides of some issues in town and bring people together on them,” he said.

Ward 5

Councilor Nancy Hamilton said last week that she is on the fence about seeking a third term. She cited responsibilities around caring for an older family member as a factor in her decision. As of Monday morning, she had not taken out nomination papers.

RSU 20 board of directors

Two of Belfast’s six seats on the Regional School Unit 20 board of directors will be on the ballot in November. The posts, currently held by Christopher Hyk and Stephanie Wade, carry a three-year term. 

Hyk said Monday he will not run for re-election. Wade could not immediately be reached for comment.

The three-year term for board members would not be in conflict with an RSU 20 withdrawal proposal that may appear alongside Belfast’s municipal ballot in November, according to attorney Kristin Collins. Collins represents several towns seeking withdrawal from the district, including Belfast and Northport and has acted as a liaison between town withdrawal committees and the school system at the local and state level. 

If Belfast leaves the district, Collins said, the city would naturally no longer have representation on the RSU 20 board.

“We’d be electing a new board and that person [an RSU 20 board member midway through an elected term] would be free to run,” she said. 

Poll workers

The city is also seeking ward clerks and wardens to run the polls on election day. These are elected posts and nominees are rarely contested.

Candidates for all positions can pick up nomination papers at the city clerk’s office in Belfast City Hall. The completed forms must be returned to the clerk by 5 p.m. August 29.

Ethan Andrews can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com