On Saturday May 10, 2014, the citizens of Pearland will elect a Mayor and  Council Member to serve in Position Number Three (3) to the Pearland City Council.

Candidate Qualifications

A candidate for City Council shall be a resident citizen of the City of Pearland, shall be a qualified voter of the State of Texas, shall have been such resident citizen of the City of Pearland for a period not less than six (6) months immediately preceding his/her election, and shall not be indebted to the City of Pearland.  The candidate must not have been finally convicted of a felony for which they have not been pardoned or had their full rights of citizenship restored by other official action. The candidate has not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without right to vote.

Application for a place on the ballot

The first day a candidate may file for a place on the ballot with the City Secretary’s Office is Wednesday, January 29, 2014.  To file as a candidate, a completed, notarized application must be filed with the City Secretary by the filing deadline, Friday, February 28, 2014, 5 p.m.  The application form includes spaces for the candidate to indicate which City Council Position is being sought, the candidate’s permanent residence address and the length of the candidate’s continuous residency in the state and city.

Campaign Treasurer Appointment

The first thing a person who plans to run for City Council must do is appoint a campaign treasurer and file the required Texas Ethics Commission Campaign Treasurer Appointment Form with the City Secretary.

The Texas Election Code requires that each candidate appoint a campaign treasurer.  The Election Code defines candidate as “a person who knowingly and willingly takes affirmative action for the purpose of gaining nomination or election to public office or for the purpose of satisfying financial obligations incurred by the person in connection with the campaign nomination or election.”  A person becomes a candidate when a public announcement or statement is made of intent to run for office, soliciting support by letter or other mode of communication, accepting campaign contributions or making campaign expenditures, or an application is filed for a place on the ballot.

Councilmember Information

Mayor and each Councilmember shall hold office for a period of three (3) years and until his/her successor is elected and qualified.  Each Councilmember is elected at large and does not serve particular areas or districts of the City.  All elections shall be held in a manner provided for by the City Charter and the election laws of the State of Texas.

Councilmembers shall be limited to two (2) full consecutive terms of office, and there shall be no limitation on the Office of Mayor.

Candidate Information

Candidate information packets containing general related information and the necessary forms for filing may be obtained from the City Secretary. If you have questions regarding the City Election process, please contact the City Secretary’s Office at 281.652.1655 or email ylorfing@ci.pearland.tx.us.

Candidates for Mayor:

• Tom Reid
• Woody Owens

Candidate for Council Position No. 3:

• Susan Sherrouse

Thanks to our friends at Silvercreek Tribune for sharing