Kalamazoo City Commission, Kalamazoo commission, Kalamazoo commissioners

The 51st Kalamazoo City Commission is sworn in at Kalamazoo City Hall in Kalamazoo, MI on Monday November 9, 2015. (Crystal Vander Weit/Kalamazoo Gazette)

(CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT)

KALAMAZOO -- Think you could run Kalamazoo better than the powers that be?

Nomination packets are now available for citizens wishing to run for the office of mayor or Kalamazoo city commissioner in the Nov. 7, 2017 Municipal Election. Voters will elect three commissioners to four-year terms and a mayor to a two-year term.

Seats held by Mayor Bobby Hopewell and commissioners Erin Knott, Matt Milcarek and Jack Urban are up for grabs.

Candidates may begin circulating nominating petitions Friday. Each candidate must submit a properly completed nominating petition containing at least 50 valid signatures, but no more than 75, and a completed Affidavit of Identity to the Clerk's office by July 25.

Signatures collected before May 26 are not valid.

Hopewell was not available for comment as of Thursday. He is currently serving is fifth term.

Urban and Knott said they will be seeking re-election to the City Commission, in part to shepherd an agreement with local philanthropists William Johnston and William Parfet to create a donation-based endowment fund.

It's purpose is to stabilize the city's budget, cut the city property tax rate and provide $30 million over three years for community-building projects. For the first three years, a non-profit "Foundation for Excellence" would be funded through the philanthropists' $70.3 million donation.

A permanent endowment requires a larger sum of donations, which will be collected from the community.

"It's been an honor to serve citizens," Knott said. "I feel there is so much more work to be done in the Foundation for Excellence. How we will prioritze spending 10 million this year real work i am rlooking forward is creating the permanent endowment."

Knott, field manager for Equality Michigan and former Michigan director of Enroll America, was elected to her first term in the 2015 election.

Urban previously served three terms as a Kalamazoo County Commissioner from 2007 to 2012, but said he is more interested in working on urban development and community issues in the city. He is seeking a third term on the commission.

"We are starting a whole new era in Kalamazoo," Urban said. "I want to see this whole thing with the endowment through. Kalamazoo could easily become another dying Michigan city unless we find a way to make it more appealing; for people who already live here and those far away."

There was an initial distrust of Johnston and Parfet felt by some residents, Urban said, but each citizen-donor will become a participant in how the money is invested.

The retired chemical engineer worked for Pharmacia and Upjohn. He is a resident of the Westnedge Hill neighborhood.

Milcarek, elected to his first term in 2015, announced he would not be running for re-election on April 28.

In a statement posted to his campaign Facebook page, Milcarek said he ran for office, in part, to address the city's structural deficit. Milcarek said he feels confident that through the Foundation for Excellence, Kalamazoo is on a path toward a long-term solution.

As the City of Kalamazoo moves into new and exciting ventures, we once again find ourselves in an election year for... Posted by Commissioner Matt Milcarek on Friday, April 28, 2017

Nomination packets can be picked up in the Kalamazoo City Clerk's Office during normal business hours. Clerk Scott Borling said candidates should file sooner rather than later, in case any signatures are invalidated.

"My advice to anyone is it's a good idea to get those in ahead of time," Borling said.

The Kalamazoo City Charter states that a person seeking the office of Mayor or City Commissioner shall be a resident of, and qualified elector in, the City of Kalamazoo at the time of filing for election or appointment to that office.

Important dates for potential candidates are as follows:

May 26

July 25 at 4 p.m.

July 28 at 4 p.m.

Before amendments were made to the city charter in 2014, all seven commission seats were up for grabs, with the top vote-getter being elected mayor.

The changes stipulated that the top three finishers in the 2015 election serve four-year terms, while next three finishers serve two-year terms. The terms of Vice Mayor Don Cooney and commissioners David Anderson and Shannon Sykes expire in 2019.

Starting with the 2017 election, all commissioners will serve four-year terms.

More information on elections and running for office is available at www.kalamazoocity.org/elections.