Heading into final week for people to sign up for municipal election in Kingston

Deadline to file nomination papers with the Clerk's office is 2pm one week from Friday.

There is not a lot of time left for Kingston residents to throw their names in for the upcoming municipal election.

Interested candidates have until next Friday at 2 pm to file their nomination papers to the Clerk's office.

City Clerk Janet Jaynes says they are not expecting a last-minute rush of people trying to file their papers.

There has been a push to get more people to run for municipal office whether it is mayor, councillor, or school board trustee, especially those between 18 and 30. Despite more people getting involved in the issues of the day, that has not necessarily translated into a big candidate pool.

Jaynes says the number of candidates who have signed up for elections has been steady over the last two cycles.

There are 13 seats on Kingston City Council up for grabs: one mayor (voted at-large) and 12 councillors (one for each district). There are five trustee positions at the Limestone District School Board, four at the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, and one each in the respective French public and catholic school boards.

Jaynes says there a lot of things people need to know before they consider running for municipal office.

For more information on how to put your name on the ballot, go to the City of Kingston's website. 

Story by Ken Hashizume