Four city positions up for election this year

Woodruff says she won’t run again for council

By RICHARD HANNERS

Whitefish Pilot

Three seats on the Whitefish City Council are up for re-election this fall, as is the city’s brand-new municipal judge position. Filing began May 4.

The four-year terms of councilors Nancy Woodruff and Nick Palmer end this year. Woodruff, who is also the deputy mayor, cited the time commitment and job issues for not running for re-election. Palmer said he is running for re-election.

Councilor Frank Sweeney was appointed by the council in January to fill the seat vacated by former councilor Shirley Jacobson. Her four-year term also ends this year.

Sweeney, an attorney who served as chairman of the Whitefish City-County Planning Board as a county resident, requested annexation into the city last year, making him eligible to serve on the council. He said he intends to run for election this year.

The filing deadline for all candidates is July 2. Candidates for city council do not have to post a filing fee, but they must have a petition in support of their candidacy signed by at least 57 city residents.

The rules have changed for the city judge election. With a municipal court replacing city court effective July 1, candidates for city judge must now have a law degree. The filing fee is $636 and no petition is required. The job pays $63,626.

Judge Bradley Johnson filed for the municipal judge position on May 4. He defeated Valerie Eve, who did not have a law degree, in the 2005 city judge election by a 5-1 margin.

Johnson, who will fill the new municipal judge position for the last six months of this year, says he was the first candidate to file this year and is enthusiastic about continuing to serve the community.

The city council in March approved holding an all-mail-in election this year. Turnout in the 2007 all-mail-in election was 47 percent, compared to 22 percent in 2005 when ballots were cast at polling stations.

Four candidates ran for three city council seats in fall 2005. Woodruff received 637 votes, Jacobson had 609, Palmer had 590, and Norm Nelson had 439.

Palmer also ran for mayor in fall 2007. Mike Jenson won with 1,008 votes. Incumbent Cris Coughlin had 745 votes, and Palmer had 93 votes.