Rob AriasThe filing period for filling one of the three expiring Emeryville city council seats officially kicked off on July 15. Three candidates have already submitted the necessary paperwork seeking one of the seats held by incumbents Courtney Welch, Sukhdeep Kaur and John Bauters.
Welch and Kaur are completing four-year terms vacated by former councilmembers (Welch via a 2021 Special Election and Kaur via a 2022 appointment). Bauters was appointed to his second term in 2020 when no challengers filed.
Bauters, a candidate for County Supervisor, would not be able to run two concurrent campaigns and has filed a terminating form 410 for his Emeryville City Council campaign committee and a form 460 with a zero balance.
Kaur, Samuel Gould and Matthew Solomon have all submitted their 501 Candidate Intention statements. Welch has not yet formally filed but has been actively soliciting donations to her campaign indicating a likely run.
Gould, a close ally and neighbor of Bauters, sits on the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Solomon sits on the Housing Committee and previously interviewed for the city council appointment that Kaur was ultimately selected for.
Councilmembers typically meet twice a month, sit on various local and regional commissions and committees and are expected to engage with and respond to constituent inquiries. Commitments vary, but upwards of twenty hours per week is considered a common baseline commitment according to those we’ve spoke with. Councilmembers earn approximately $14,000 annually and it is not considered a full-time position as in much larger cities like Oakland and Berkeley.
These commitments can make the position more challenging for residents with young children, single-parents or for people that are the primary income-earner.
The required paperwork to file for office includes a nomination petition signed by 20-30 registered voters, a statement of economic interest, and a $25 candidate filing fee (there are also other, optional filings).
Candidates must make an appointment with the City of Emeryville City Clerk to be issued their nomination papers, and a second appointment to return their completed paperwork within the nomination filing period.
The deadline to file is August 9, at 5:00 p.m. If any of the incumbents fail to file by this time, the deadline will be extended to August 14 (this is almost certain to happen with Bauters, an incumbent, unlikely to run).
A candidate can withdraw their nomination petition and filings up until the regular or extended filing deadline (if applicable).
Emeryville City Council terms are 4-year terms and the staggered elections are held in even-numbered years.
Councilmembers David Mourra and Kalimah Priforce’s terms expire in 2026.
