City of Duluth, Georgia

Candidate Information

Running for Office

The Mayor and Council serve four year staggered terms. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that at no time is the Council composed of a full panel of freshmen members. There are presently no term limits for these positions. In order to qualify for the position of Mayor or councilmember, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Must be a one (1) year City of Duluth resident as of the first Tuesday in November of the year for which you are qualifying.
2. Must be a registered voter.
3. Must state which seat/person for which you are qualifying.
4. Must pay a qualifying fee of $180 (3% of Council pay) or, if running for the Mayoral seat, $288 (3% of Mayor's pay).

Council meetings are held twice monthly, on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. Special called work sessions are also called on an as-needed basis. Elected officials take office at the first organizational meeting in the January following the election. Once elected, the Mayor and all members of Council must continue to reside in the City of Duluth during their periods of service and remain registered voters. Additionally, they may not hold any other city office or city employment during any portion of the term for which they are elected.

Compensation for elected officials is as follows: Mayor receives $500 per month plus $150 per meeting for each regularly scheduled meeting, not to exceed two meetings per month. City Council members receive $200 per month plus $150 per meeting for each regularly scheduled meeting, not to exceed two meetings per month. Attendance is expected at these meetings as well as during annual Strategic Planning Sessions, some required conferences and seminars, and budget review sessions. Elected officials are also expected to participate in county or community involvement programs, leadership programs, and encouraged to attend various city functions and events.

Interested candidates should familiarize themselves with City operations, including but not limited to review of the Duluth City Charter, City Codes/Ordinances, the Constitution of the State of Georgia, and guidelines set forth by the State Ethics Commission. Below are some helpful links.

The elected officials of the City make decisions based on many various City regulations, ordinances, and policies. This area can serve as a resource for those currently in office.

City of Duluth Ordinances
The Constitution of the State of Georgia
State Ethics Commission
Ethics Fast Facts Brochure
Zoning Ordinance
Development Regulations

The next municipal election for the City of Duluth will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at Duluth City Hall, 3167 Main Street, to elect three (3) members of Council.

Qualifying

Qualifying for the 2011 Election will take place in August/September of 2011.

Persons interested in running for office should make themselves familiar with the Georgia Ethics in Government Act, and contact the City Clerk, Teresa S. Lynn, at 770.476.3434 or via email at tlynn@duluthga.net at their earliest opportunity to receive valuable information concerning campaign filing guidelines.

Reporting

Please note that candidates for public office are required to file forms with the City Clerk as required by the State Ethics Commission. The Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report (CCDR) is filed 5 different times by a candidate in an election year, March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, October 25th and December 31st. Even if a person has not qualified for office yet, but expects to be a candidate, it is recommended that s/he file the March and June reports. In a “non-election year,” elected officials will file this report twice; on or before June 30th and on or before December 31st. The Financial Disclosure Report (FDR) is due from candidates along with the qualifying paperwork. For elected officials already in office, this report is due once per year, between January 1st and June 1st. It is extremely important to review the Ethics in Government Act along with the “Rules and Laws” section on the Ethics Commission’s website. http://www.ethics.state.ga.us

Campaigning

All candidates should be aware that the City of Duluth has a Sign Ordinance, specifically designated as Chapter 11.5 of the Duluth Code, and campaign signs also fall under these regulations. Click here to view PDF to review it, or visit www.municode.com and follow the links to Duluth, Georgia to access the entire code of ordinances online. Other restrictions regarding campaign activities can be found in the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) Title 21, also published as the Georgia Election Code and Rules of the State Election Board.

City of Duluth Code of Ethics Ordinance

Code of Ethics for Government Service

The O.C.G.A. § 45-10-2 authorizes the Secretary of State to publish the Code of Ethics For Government Service established in section 45-10-1 (Ga. L. 1968, p. 1369.) for exhibiting to the public and employees of the state and all governments therein.

Any person in government service should:

1. I. Put loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or government department.
2. Uphold the Constitution, laws, and legal regulations of the United States and the State of Georgia and of all governments therein and never be a party to their evasion.
3. Give a full day's labor for a full day's pay and give to the performance of his duties his earnest effort and best thought.
4. Seek to find and employ more efficient and economical ways of getting tasks accomplished.
5. Never discriminate unfairly by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not, and never accept, for himself or his family, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of his governmental duties.
6. Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office, since a government employee has no private word which can be binding on public duty.
7. Engage in no business with the government, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of his governmental duties.
8. Never use any information coming to him confidentially in the performance of governmental duties as a means for making private profit.
9. Expose corruption wherever discovered.
10. Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.

State Ethics Commission
200 Piedmont Avenue, SE
Suite 1402 – West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334