Staff Reports

Norco –The City of Norco encourages all residents to go out and vote, as two seats are up on the City Council this year.

The City of Norco utilizes an  at-large election system in which registered voters from the entire City choose each of the five City Council Members. On November 6, two City Council seats currently held by Kevin Bash and Greg Newton and are up for election. Five residents are vying for those seats, included with Bash and Newton the other candidates are Rob Koziel, Rod Taylor and Travis Walsh. The City Clerk is the local elections administrator and coordinates with the County of Riverside in the conduct of Municipal elections. This includes, but is not limited to, the preparation of necessary resolutions calling for General and Special Municipal Elections and declaring the result of the election, the coordination of the candidate nomination process and the receipt and processing of initiative, referendum and recall petitions. Regular elections are consolidated with statewide elections, scheduled on the first Tuesday of November of even numbered years to fill expired City Council terms. All election services are provided according the California Elections Code, according to the city of Norco’s website.

City Council members are elected at-large for a four year term. Council Members serve “staggered” terms, meaning that either 2 or 3 seats are open for election every two years. Council Members receive $550 per month stipend as compensation for their service.

Any member of the public who meets the following requirements may run for public office in the City of Norco. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and be a registered voter in the City of Norco at the time the nomination papers are issued. In order to become a candidate, the first step in the process is to file a Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 501: Candidate Intention Statement. File Form 501 with the City Clerk before receiving or spending funds. Form 501 can be filed with the City Clerk prior to the official Nomination Period. Each candidate must file an original Form 501 with the City Clerk. The only exception is if no funds are raised and the only expenditure made is from personal funds for a candidate’s statement. Candidates must file the Form 501 before receiving or spending monies or opening a bank account. Candidates who receive any monetary contributions from others, or contribute $2,000 or more in personal funds to their campaigns, must still open a campaign bank account. The form may be obtained from the City Clerk or from FPPC’s website at www.fppc.ca.gov. The City Clerk will issue your Nomination Paper and Candidate Packet during the Nomination Period. The process to issue nomination papers takes approximately 30 minutes. Please note, you must be a registered voter in the City of Norco at the time the nomination papers are issued. A filing fee of $25 is paid to the City of Norco when nomination papers are pulled.

Pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10220, qualified candidates may be issued and file nomination papers during the nomination period. Candidates are nominated by no less than 20 registered voters of the City of Norco.

Voter registration forms are available at all public libraries, post offices and City Hall. To receive a registration form by mail, please call the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office at (951) 486-7200 or the City Clerk’s office at (951) 735-3900. Completed registration forms can be hand-delivered to the Registrar’s office located at 2724 Gateway Drive, Riverside, CA 92507 or 2870 Clark Ave, Norco, CA 92860or dropped off in any U.S. mailbox. No postage is necessary. For additional voter registration information visit www.voteinfo.net. (most information courtesy of the City of Eastvale)