Elections for Chestertown Second and Fourth Ward Council seats will be held November 5.
Chestertown Councilwoman Linda Kuiper has announced her candidacy for a third term
Second Ward Councilwoman Linda Kuiper said at the meeting that she will stand for another four-year term, which would be her third. She said she has already collected the needed signatures to file for reelection. If re-elected, Kuiper would become the senior member of the council in length of service. Her new term would begin in January 2020.
Councilman Marty Stetson
Fourth Ward Councilman Marty Stetson announced at the Aug. 5 council meeting that he will not seek re-election to what would be his fourth term. He cited deterioration of his hearing as the reason for his decision.
Candidates for the two seats that are up for election must file their petitions at Town Hall, 118 N. Cross Street, by Friday, Oct. 4. However, no applications will be accepted on or before Thursday, Aug. 29. Petitions must be signed by at least 20 qualified voters, all of whom are residents of the ward the candidate seeks to represent. Petitions must also indicate the candidate’s name, residence, age, the length of time the candidate has lived in town, and the office the candidate seeks to run for.
To be eligible for election to the council, candidates must be legal voters in the town of Chestertown, no less than 21 years old, citizens of the United States, and residents of the town for one year prior to the election. They must also be residents of the ward they are seeking to represent no less than 30 days prior to the election.
Candidates are also required to file two financial disclosure forms with the town, the first on Oct. 21, the final one on Nov. 15. For further information on the town’s financial disclosure requirements, visit the town website.
Oct. 4 is also the last day for voter registration for the town election. Voters must be registered with the Kent County Board of Elections; any voter registered with the county for state and federal elections is automatically eligible to vote in town elections. Only residents of the wards from which council members are being elected are eligible to vote for those offices. For forms and information on absentee ballots, contact the Town Office, 118 N. Cross Street at 410-778-0500 or email Town Clerk Jen Mulligan at [email protected].
Chestertown Ward Map, from the town website.
Ward 2 runs from the Chester River west of High Street to the northern town limits in Foxley Manor. It includes most of the downtown shopping district and much of the Washington College campus.
Ward 4 is, roughly speaking, the northeast quadrant of town, beginning at the intersection of Campus Avenue and Washington Avenue. In addition to residential areas, it includes the two shopping centers along Washington Ave. extended.
For full information on the election and a downloadable map of the election wards, visit the town website. (Note — check with Town Hall if unsure which ward you’re in; the map can be hard to read.)
Other issues discussed at the Aug. 19 council meeting included the introduction of State Highway Administration officials to the council, an update on the September car show, and an agreement between the town and Washington College on a riverside walkway across college property. See an upcoming issue of the Chestertown Spy for a report on these issues.
Bill Arrowood says
I am still incredulous as to why in the last 6 years, (since the last election in where more than one ward was uncontested) no one has looked at realigning the voting wards in Chestertown.
Since the advent of Coventry Farms, Ward 3 has nearly three times as many votes as the other three. Geographically, suburban developments like Foxley Manor shouldn’t be aligned with downtown business, (or at very least should be aligned with the Plaza and its adjacent residential); its closer geographically and has similar needs with the Flatland Road developments. Speaking of Ward Three, it includes the industrial end of High Street and those very suburban Flat Land Road communities, but has been for many years been carved to exclusively contain nearly all of the African American communities in a single voting block. Wards 1& 2 somehow split High Street along the 100 block, because ?.
I understand that 30+ years ago, or last time the lines were carved, it may have balanced some of the registers, but it no longer does and the differences between the communities should be addressed.
If not, we it not do just as well to have four at large council persons and have it not matter what neighborhood they are from and have the entire town vote for them, so we don’t have voting totals for our representatives that do not even meet the 20 people required to be on the ballot. (Ward 2- 2015*)
To my understanding, there has been no public plan for the increase in residents based on either new development or future planned development and how it would impact the wards. If i am wrong, I hope that the Town and Council can correct me.
But look at the map, look at the population and someone tell me how this isn’t out of date and in need or revision.
I am not saying that the people that have committed to representing this town have not done their best, but am questioning if this map is the best representation of our town, now and where it will be going forward.