SWCD Board Member Election Question

[Rob Hamilton]

Ohio currently has a policy in place for local SWCD elections that requires at least 1 more person to run than the number of SWCD board member positions up for election. In other words if one position is up for election the policy requires at least 2 people to run for the position.

Would be interested in hearing from other states on this. Do you have a requirement similar to this?

[David Williams]

No such requirement for NC.

[Mark Gilbert]

Mississippi does not have that requirement. Each county’s SWCD commissioner’s terms expire at the same time and only one person is required to run for each position.

[Bill Smith]

South Dakota does not have a requirement like this.

[Laura Fribley]

Indiana had that requirement until roughly 10 years ago. Now they only need one candidate per one vacancy (although they can have more than one of course- and it’s required they take nominations from the floor). Our current requirements are listed in Indiana Code 14-32-4-8. Some counties still put more than one person on the ballot for one vacancy. Would be happy to share more if you are interested.

[Lisa Knauf Owen]

Oklahoma does not have a requirement like this. There is one elected position up for election each year with a filing period time frame. If only one person files they are deemed “elected”. If more than one person files an election is held for that position.

[Brad Spicer]

No

[Mel Davis]

Texas law requires districts to post the subdivision from which a director is being elected and give candidates the opportunity to sign up if they wish to run for the position. Sign up is during regular business hours the entire month of August. Directors serve staggered terms of four years.

[Bob Palmer]

The following is Delaware’s requirements for Board of Supervisor elections/appointments:

DE Code, Title 7, Chapter 39 § 3906 Boards of district supervisors; composition; term.

(a) There shall be a board of supervisors for each district, each board to consist of 4 elected supervisors, an optional supervisor who, in Kent County shall be a member of the Levy Court, in Sussex County shall be a member of County Council, and in New Castle County, shall be the County Executive or the County Executive’s designated representative, and 2 optional supervisors who shall not be farmers and who may be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control upon the request of the district involved. The vote and authority of each supervisor shall be equal. The county agricultural agent shall serve as secretary to the board but shall have no vote.

(b) The elected members of the Kent and Sussex districts shall be farmers residing in those respective counties. In New Castle County, 2 of the elected supervisors shall be farmers residing in the southern portion of the County, and the remaining 2 who shall not be farmers, shall reside in the northern portion of the County, according to a division established by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

(c) The term of office of each elected supervisor shall be 4 years. The term of office of a supervisor appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control shall be 3 years. An optional supervisor appointed by the Kent County Levy Court and the Sussex County Council shall hold office during the pleasure of that body so long as that optional supervisor remains a member of the appointing body. The Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control may fill the vacancy of any elected supervisor, or supervisor appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control occurring otherwise than by expiration of term, by appointment of a qualified individual to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

[Johnna McHugh]

The elections for board supervisor in Kentucky is on the general ballot with the rest of the electoral races. However, it only goes on the ballot if there are more or fewer petitions than open seats. So if there are 3 seats open and exactly 3 people petition, those people automatically are elected and it doesn’t go on the ballot. If 2 or 4 people apply, it will go on the ballot.

[RJ Spencer]

Utah has the same policy. It has been tough to find one more person than is available for some CD’s. If they do not find the extra candidate, they dissolve into the neighboring CD.

Not a perfect solution, but motivating for the CD.

[Jim Gillespie, Iowa]

Iowa does not have that requirement. Any eligible electorate is able to run. We have five (5) commissioners and terms are four (4) years and staggered, so three and two in subsequent elections non-partisan. We can have two (2) commissioners from the same township so we could have five townships represented or as few as three (3) townships represented.

[Frank Minch]

Supervisors in New Jersey serve staggered 3-year terms appointed by the State Committee and are not a part of any local ballot. Incumbent supervisors may be reappointed without a second nominee provided they meet specific performance criteria established by Committee policy. For many years, this policy required two nominees to fill a vacancy but has recently been revised to require one nominee.

[Cindy Lair]

Colorado has no such requirement.

[Doug Thomas]

Here in Minnesota we do not have a requirement for more than one person to be on the ballot for an SWCD Supervisor position.

[Bill Wilson]

We have a similar requirement here in Missouri. Our Code of State Regulations requires the nominating committee to submit no less than two qualified candidates for each position up for election. Most nominating committees struggle to find two qualified individuals who will agree to run for the board.

[Marc Cribb]

South Carolina had no such requirement.

[Bill Eller]

Washington State does not have such a requirement. In fact, we do the opposite – if there is just one person who files and otherwise qualifies for the seat up for election, and if that person is the incumbent for that position, the election is cancelled and the incumbent automatically re-elected to that position.

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