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ARE YOU CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR OFFICE? This article provides general information about life as an elected official in the Town of Monument. It is based in part on legal requirements outlining the duties and responsibilities of the Town’s elected officials but is more heavily based on the real-life experiences of elected officials that have lived the role. It provides points for consideration as you decide whether to pursue election. Other materials you will receive in your petition packet contain facts about how to run, what your candidacy obligations are, and how the election will be run. This article, on the other hand, addresses the initial questions you may have before deciding whether to take the next step. GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE The Town of Monument is a Statutory Town and therefore complies with State Statutes and the Town of Monument Municipal Code. BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Town of Monument’s governing body consists of six elected Trustees and an elected Mayor, collectively the Board of Trustees. The Mayor has the same obligations as each of the Trustees, plus some additional duties as the ceremonial head of the Town and others required by the Town of Monument’s Municipal Code. At the first meeting, following biennial election, the Board shall appoint one of the Trustees as Mayor Pro Tem who, in the absence of the Mayor (or the Mayor's inability to act) shall perform the duties of Mayor. The Board of Trustee offices are non-partisan. Town elections are designed so that the terms of office are staggered. All offices of the Board of Trustees for the Town of Monument are volunteer positions. REASONS TO RUN People choose to serve their cities and towns as elected officials for various reasons. Regardless of the motive, if you are contemplating serving your community as a member of the Board of Trustees, you should be prepared for the demands, expectations, and rewards that accompany the role. Although the basic requirements for serving require only that you reside in the Town of Monument, attend the scheduled meetings of the Board, and participate as you desire in policy making, the Town of Monument has a proud tradition of active and involved elected officials who largely exceed the minimum requirements. The Board of Trustees sets public policy, and sound policy decisions are the result of hard work. For this reason, elected officials are encouraged, but not legally required, to conduct work outside of the regular meetings. Our dedicated Board of Trustees volunteer their time reviewing meeting materials; educating themselves about the public policy issues; interacting with constituents and other elected officials; educating and informing constituents; attending meetings with other agencies and governments; serving on appointed committees; and acting as liaisons with staff and other agencies. YOU’VE GOT SUPPORT Recalling the adage that “no good deed goes unpunished”, it can at times seem like all you ever hear from are aggrieved citizens. Happily (and hopefully just when you need it), you will see the benefits of a Board decision play out for the good of the community or you will occasionally get a much needed thank-you. You will share the dais with others with a deep concern for the Town and its citizens. Sometimes you won’t agree with all of them, but you will be expected to disagree with professionalism and respect. All board members have different backgrounds and but knowing you share a common goal will create a united board. ---PAGE BREAK--- TIME COMMITMENTS Your experience as an elected official is dependent on your commitment. Attendance at Regular and Special meetings is required, except for excused absences. The rest of the commitments listed are obligations that Board members in the Town have traditionally accepted. Regular and Special meetings: The Board of Trustees regularly meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. Meetings begin at 6:30 pm and conclude when the agenda items have been discussed. When a meeting falls on a holiday, the meeting is rescheduled to Tuesday. Infrequently, additional meetings are scheduled when the urgency of business requires. In advance of board meetings, packets of meeting materials are sent via town e-mail to board members midway through the preceding week. Review of the packet can take several hours, and board members are requested to send any questions raised by such materials to appropriate Town staff by Monday morning to allow time for questions to be addressed before or at the Monday evening meeting. Agendas and board packets can also be found on the Town of Monument website at www.townofmonument.org. Training: Newly elected officials are required to attend training sessions with town staff and the town attorney to become familiar with a variety of important subjects related to their service. These trainings can last several days and are often scheduled in the evenings or on the weekends in April following the election. Committee Participation: The town has internal advisory committees to research and provide guidance to the Board on setting public policy. In addition, there are special districts and other governmental and quasi-governmental authorities that provide important public services to the Town’s citizens. Board members volunteer for these committees or organizations to act as liaisons for the town. Time commitment will vary, and meetings could be held during the day or evenings. From time to time, the Town convenes ad hoc committees to review proposals for services contracts, interview candidates for appointments to boards and commissions, or consider special issues that come before the Town. Each board member is asked to volunteer some of their time to one or more of these committees. Individual Constituent Interaction: Constituents expect board members to be available to communicate via e-mail and phone calls about their concerns and to be diligent and consistent in their follow up. Miscellaneous Time Commitments: Beyond the duties listed above, board members are often asked to be present at ribbon cuttings, local ceremonies, community events, and important town traditions. CAN YOU MAKE IT WORK? Now that you understand the legal and traditional time commitments of elected officials, prospective candidates should evaluate their professional and personal responsibilities and determine: ✓ Will your job/schedule allow the flexibility to be at Town Hall by 6:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month (or occasional Tuesdays) and any special meetings called? ✓ Will your professional and personal life allow for attending occasional weekend or evening workshops? ✓ Will you be able to commit to the occasional working or focus group meetings, which are sometimes held during afternoon or evening hours? ---PAGE BREAK--- ✓ Are you organized in a manner which will allow you to interact with your constituents while still allowing you uninterrupted personal and/or professional time? (These constituent interactions can include emails, phone calls, meeting residents for coffee, attending occasional HOA meetings or special meetings called by residents.) ✓ Are you willing and able to occasionally serve on Town-formed ad hoc committees? ✓ Do you have an interest in attending various community events? ✓ Do you have time late in the week and over the weekend to review the packets? MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION If you decide to run for office, you will learn about the town, policies, your neighbors, effective political exchange of ideas, time management, and being a public figure. Past town elected officials have felt their role is rewarding and important. The decision to run for an elected position should be made after careful consideration of your situation and ability to commit. However, many of the town’s elected officials have chosen to run for a second term and recall the experience as rewarding and fulfilling. ELECTION INFORMATION The Town of Monument holds Regular Municipal Elections on the first Tuesday of even-numbered years for the election of officers. Municipal elections are nonpartisan, and nomination is accomplished by petition. Candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes are elected to serve four-year terms unless specified otherwise of the official ballot. Monument has not repealed term limits, therefore, no elected member shall serve more than two consecutive terms in office, except that with respect to terms of office which are shorter than two years in duration due to an appointment (Article 18, Section 11 of the Colorado Constitution). The terms commence at the first regular board meeting following the completion of the of canvass of votes and compliance with Colorado Revised Statutes section 31-4-401. The Town of Monument is a statutory town whose actions are governed by the Colorado Revised Statutes Election rules covered in Title 31 - Article 10, Municipal Election Code. Per Monument Municipal Code 1.12.030, all elections will be conducted via Mail Ballot. A complete set of Colorado Revised Statutes are available for review at Town Hall. CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Candidates must meet the following criteria pursuant to C.R.S. 31-10-301: ✓ Must be a registered voter; ✓ Must be at least 18 years of age by the date of the election; ✓ Must have resided in the Town of Monument for a period of at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the election; ✓ May not be a candidate for two municipal offices at the same election nor hold two elective municipal offices simultaneously. Other eligibility requirements per Town of Monument Municipal Code 2.04.020: ✓ Must be a qualified elector of the Town of Monument; ✓ May not hold any other elective public office; ✓ May not be contracted or employed by the Town of Monument. NOMINATION PROCEDURE Candidates for municipal offices shall be nominated “at large”, without regard to political party affiliation or geographic location. Municipal candidates are all nominated by petition. Nomination petitions must be filed in the Town Clerk’s office in accordance with CRS. 31-10-909 Each nomination petition shall be completed with the name of the candidate as he/she wishes it to appear on the ballot, the candidate’s place of residence, ---PAGE BREAK--- and the office being sought. Candidates may use a nickname but may not use any title or degree designation with the business or profession of the candidate. Candidates may withdraw from the election by submitting a written affidavit to the Town Clerk stating their withdrawal pursuant to CRS. 31-10-909(b). WRITE-IN CANDIDATES Write-in candidate votes will not be counted unless an Affidavit of Intent has been received pursuant to CRS. 31-10-306. CIRCULATION OF NOMINATION PETITIONS Candidates may circulate their own petitions or have others circulate petitions for them. However, each nomination petition can only be circulated by one person. Nomination petitions cannot be left unattended by the circulator. The circulator must witness and certify by affidavit that each signature is the signature of the person whose name it purports to be, and that each signer has stated to the circulator that he is a registered elector of the municipality for which the nomination is being made. The nominating petition must contain at least 10 signatures of registered electors residing within the town limits of the Town of Monument. An elector has the right to sign only as many petitions as there are offices to fill. Each registered elector signing the petition must also print their name and physical address as it appears on their voter registration. It is advisable to obtain more than the required 10 signatures in the event a name is challenged, found to be ineligible, or otherwise eliminated. Signatures will be verified by the town clerk. If signatures are eliminated by the clerk resulting in fewer than 10 registered electors signing a petition, the petition circulator will have time in which to amend the petition. The last day to amend a nomination petition is 64 days prior to the election (election day excluded). First day petition may be circulated: January 7, 2020 Last day to file nomination petition: January 27, 2020 Last day to amend or withdrawal nomination petition: February 3, 2020