Today kicks off the filing period for the upcoming city elections in Dallas County.

From now until Thursday, September 21st at 5 p.m., people interested in running for their city councils or mayor positions can begin filing their nomination papers. Positions up for election include three each in Perry and Adel. In Perry, there are council seats for at-large and ward 2 available, though the incumbents have indicated they intend to run for reelection. However, the mayor position in Perry will be filled by someone new, as Jay Pattee has made it clear he’s retiring.

Pattee said at a recent Council meeting that he felt any of the current council members would make a great mayor, but he also wouldn’t mind seeing some fresh faces. “There have been times on Council where I think we could use a better gender balance, and we could use just a smaller average age I think. That being said, there’s a lot of wisdom around the table. And I hope there always will be kind of a balance that way, too. That maybe we could have some young and some old, and some of each gender, and go forward. That’d be my wish.”

The City of Adel has two at-large council seats and the mayorship up for election. The race for mayor could prove particularly interesting, as several community members have announced their intentions to run against incumbent Jim Peters. In both Perry and Adel, the council terms are four years and the mayor term is two years, and the signatures of 25 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

Nomination packets are available in the office of the city clerk, the Dallas County Auditor’s Office, and the Secretary of State’s website. Completed packets must be turned in to the auditor’s office, not the city clerk. Find a full list of open positions in Dallas County below.

In the city of Adel, the office of mayor and 2 council at-large seats are up for election; 2 year term for mayor and 4 year terms for council. Signatures of at least 25 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of Bouton, the office of mayor and 5 council at-large seats are up for election for 2 year terms. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of Dawson, the office of mayor and 5 council at-large seats are up for election for 2 year terms. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of DeSoto, the office of mayor and 3 council at-large seats are up for election for 4 year terms. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of Dexter, the offices of 3 council at-large seats are up for election for 4 year terms. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of Linden, the office of mayor and 2 council at-large seats are up for election for 4 year terms. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of Minburn, the office of mayor and 3 council at-large seats are up for election. In addition there is 1 council-at-large to fill vacancy for the next 2 years. The term of office for mayor and the council at-large terms are 4 years each. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.

In the city of Perry, the office of mayor, 1 council at-large, and 1 council ward 2, are up for election. The signatures of at least 25 eligible electors of the city are required on nomination petitions. Candidates must live in their wards but can be voted on by all voters in the city. The term of office for mayor is 2 years, and the council terms are 4 years.

In the city of Redfield, the office of mayor and 2 council at-large seats are up for election for 4 year terms. Signatures of at least 10 eligible electors are required on nomination petitions.