Candidates to begin collecting contributions for municipal elections this month

On August 23, 2016, the city of Vestavia Hills will hold a municipal election for the Mayor and Council Places 1, 2, 3 and 4. All Council candidates are elected “at large” within the place that they qualified within.

Pursuant to Alabama law, anyone who wishes to run for office may begin collecting campaign funds on Aug. 23, 2015. A candidate must begin to file information with the County Probate Judge once he or she reaches a threshold of $1,000. Information for filing campaign contributions and establishing a campaign committee may be obtained at the Alabama Secretary of State website, sos.alabama/gov.

Beginning around spring 2016, City Clerk Rebecca Leavings will be holding a workshop for candidates.

“I generally try and reach everyone I know that has contacted me with a desire to run and invite them to the workshop to pick up all the needed information such as qualifying information, FCPA (fair campaign practices act) information, ethics information, information for voter lists, etc.,” Leavings said. “The true election qualifying begins in July and the election itself is a fast six weeks, but there’s a lot of buildup to that point.”

Anyone wishing to obtain more information should contact Leavings at 978-0184 or rleavings@vhal.org.