Running for Office
This fall, College Park voters will elect the Mayor, who is elected at-large, and eight district Councilmembers, two from each of the four Council districts in the City.
If you are thinking about running for an elected office, please note the following information. College Park uses a petition process to qualify candidates for elected office. Candidates for the office of Mayor must collect the signatures of 20 qualified voters from each Council district. Candidates for the office of Councilmember must collect 25 signatures from the qualified voters in their district. Candidacy packets with the petition forms, and other required paperwork, will be available from the City website on August 1, 2021. You may also make an appointment with the City Clerk’s office to pick up a hard copy of the candidacy packet. All candidacy forms (petitions and other required forms) must be returned by Wednesday, September 15.
In addition, candidates for the office of Mayor:
- Must be 18 years old at the time of taking office (December 14, 2021).
- Must be a United States citizen.
- Must be a current registered voter in the City.
- Shall have been domiciled in the City since September 15, 2020.
- Must continuously reside in the City for the full two-year term.
Candidates for the office of Councilmember:
- Must be 18 years old at the time of taking office (December 14, 2021).
- Must be a United States citizen.
- Must be a current registered voter in the City.
- Shall have been domiciled in their respective district since September 15, 2020.
- Must continuously reside in their respective district for the full two-year term.
The City of College Park follows a council-manager form of government which is the system of local government that combines the political leadership of the elected body (the Mayor and City Council) with the managerial experience of a local government manager (the City Manager) to oversee daily operations and the delivery of public services. The Maryland Municipal League publication So You Want To Be An Elected Municipal Official: What You Need To Know First includes helpful information about what it means to be elected to the City’s legislative body.
The Mayor and City Council meet on Tuesday nights. Elected officials are compensated: the Mayor receives $10,500 per year and each Councilmember receives $7,000 per year.
For more information about voting in the City, or running for office, please contact the City Clerk, Janeen S. Miller, at 240-487-3501 or jsmiller@collegeparkmd.gov, or the Chief of the Board of Election Supervisors, John Payne, at boeschief@collegeparkmd.gov.