On Monday, the Jefferson City Council established the city election dates and filing periods for the April general municipal election.
The election will be April 7, and the filing period for candidates will begin at 8 a.m. Dec. 17 and end at 5 p.m. Jan. 21.
Candidates can file on all days that City Hall, 320 E. McCarty St., is open for regular business hours during that time.
Costs of elections can average $7,000-$30,000, depending on the size of the ballot and voter turnout, according to the approved bill. Citywide elections are generally at the high end of the average.
In 2020, one council position from each of the five wards will be up for election.
Ward 1 Councilman Rick Prather and Ward 2 Councilman Rick Mihalevich will term out in April, and their seats will be open.
Ward 3 Councilwoman Erin Wiseman's, Ward 5 Councilman Jon Hensley's and Ward 4 Councilman Ron Fitzwater's terms will end, and they will be up for reelection if they chose to run.
The other five council seats will expire in 2021.
Also at Monday's meeting, the council heard proposed changes to the city's charter recommended by the Council Committee on Administration.
Specific proposed changes to the charter include: Adding incapacity as a reason for removal for the mayor and council members
Specifying that the mayor can't hold any other city office or city employment
A new subsection allows for the removal of the mayor by a four-fifths majority vote from council for the same reasons already given for council members, including conviction of a felony, failure to attend three consecutive meetings without just cause or being incapacitated from fulfilling their duties
A "grandfathering clause" stating all current elected and appointed officials would continue to hold their office after charter amendments take place, until the end of their terms. Current office holders will not lose their office because of city charter changes that may disqualify them.
The amendments also include general changes like removing gender-specific language throughout the charter and eliminating dates that are no longer effective.
City Counselor Ryan Moehlman said these are the first round of proposed changes to the charter, with more planned to come before the council in the coming weeks. Some of those changes include residency requirements for the city clerk and what offices elected or appointed officials can hold outside their position.
If approved by the council, the charter changes will be placed on the April 7 general election ballot.