Candidates file for municipal elections

City hall was quiet on Tuesday afternoon, as the deadline to file for candidacy for several municipal boards and council seats approached.  
By filing deadline at 5 o’clock, the folder containing the official filing documents was skinny, showing the lack of public interest to run for office.
Two, three-year-term Nome Common Council seats are up for election this year. Seat F is held by Jerald Brown, who is running unopposed for office again.
The other council seat is seat F, currently held by Matt Culley, who three years ago ran unopposed and was voted into office. This year, Culley sees competition as Thomas Okleasik and Mark Johnson threw their hat in the ring and are running against the incumbent who is known for his colorful comments during council meetings.
The other seat that sees competition is Utility Seat B, currently occupied by Fred Moody. Moody is challenged by Wesley Perkins.
Utility Seat B is currently held by Berda Willson, who decided not to run for office again. The lone candidate for the three-year term seat on the utility board is Emory “Chuck” Wheeler.
School board seat E, a three-year term, is held by Barb Amarok. Currently Amarok serves as school board president. She is the only one who filed for candidacy.
One must be a registered city voter and resident for one year to be eligible to run for office in Nome. Filing for candidacy included submission of Alaska Public Offices Commission paperwork that requires financial disclosure  of earnings through employment, rental incomes, dividents, income from business interests, rental property interests, trusts and retirement accounts, loans and debts and even government contracts and natural lease sales.
A late filer who decided spur-of-the-moment to run for an unchallgened seat, flipped through the APOC pages and withdrew his application, saying it would take him too long to collect the information.
The municipal elections will take place on Tuesday, October 4.