§ 2-51. Composition and eligibility.

(a)

The unified board of commissioners shall be an 11-member governing body hereinafter referred to as the "commission" composed of a chief executive/mayor (hereinafter "mayor") nominated and elected at large, and ten commission members. Eight of the commission members shall be nominated and elected from districts. Two at-large commission members shall be nominated from districts and elected at-large. The mayor and each district and at-large commission member shall be at the time of filing for the office a citizen of the United States, a qualified elector of Wyandotte County and, except for the mayor, must reside in either the district or the at-large district for which the person has filed to be elected and thereafter for the duration of their term continuously maintain said qualifications. The mayor must at all times reside within Wyandotte County.

(b)

From and after January 1, 2017, any person desiring to become a candidate for the office of mayor or for a position as a commission member shall file before the filing deadline with the election commissioner of the unified government (hereinafter "election commissioner") a statement of candidacy on a form furnished by the election commissioner. Each filing for mayor shall be accompanied by a filing fee equal to one percent of the annual salary for such position, or in lieu of such filing fee, a petition signed by 1,400 qualified electors of the unified government. Each filing for the position of at-large commission member shall be accompanied by a filing fee equal to one percent of the annual salary for the position, or, in lieu of such filing fee, a petition signed by 700 qualified electors. Each filing for the position of district commission member shall be accompanied by a filing fee equal to one percent of the annual salary for the position, or, in lieu of such filing fee, a petition signed by 175 qualified electors.

(Code 1988, § 2-541; Res. No. R-1-97, § 3.01, 10-2-1997; Res. No. R-141-98, § 1, 11-5-1998; Ord. No. O-23-16 , § 1, 5-5-2016)