The deadlines are fast approaching for candidates to file papers to run for city council in Santa Rosa an elsewhere.
So far, 11 people in Santa Rosa have begun the process of qualifying for four seats on the seven-member council that will be on the November ballot this year.
The seats of Mayor Ernesto Olivares, Councilman Gary Wysocky, Councilman John Sawyer and Councilwoman Marsha Vas Dupre are on the ballot.
The regular nomination period ends Friday, but will almost certainly be extended. That's because incumbent Vas Dupre has said she will not seek another term and Sawyer is running for county supervisor.
If neither files to defend their seats by 5 p.m. Friday, the period will be extended until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The extension period applies only to non-incumbents. It gives potential candidates time to file once they are sure whether or not incumbents will seek re-election.
The rules are set by state law and are the same for cities throughout Sonoma County. The deadlines for Cloverdale are expected to be Friday because all incumbents are planning to run again, while the deadlines for Windsor and Healdsburg are expected to be extended.
The nomination period opened July 16. To date, only one candidate has qualified for the ballot in Santa Rosa, landscape architect Mike Cook, a former member of the city's Design Review Board.
In addition to Olivares and Wysocky, there are eight other potential candidates who have picked up their paperwork from the city clerk's office but not yet filed it: Caroline Ba?elos, Erin Carlstrom, Julie Combs, Hans Dippel, Chuck Sims, Don Taylor, Shaan Vandenburg and Justin Yock-Davis.
Friday also is the deadline for measures to qualify for the November ballot.
You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com.
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