Two days left to file for city elections

Primary elections for both mayor and city council are assured after a flurry of filings last week at City Hall.When the Echo went to press, three candidates had entered Ely’s mayoral race and seven people had joined the contest for three council positions.That ensures that Ely will hold a primary, to be conducted in conjunction with the Sept. 14 state primary.And even more names could be on the city ballot this fall, as candidates have until Tuesday to jump into the race.Incumbents Frank Salerno (mayor) and Jerome Debeltz (council) and Mark Zupec (council) were among the first to file, but noticeably absent from the list of candidates thus far is the remaining incumbent up for election: council member Paul Kess.Kess, who has served on the council since 1995, has publicly wavered over a re-election bid.Salerno, who began his third stint as mayor in 2003, will have to fight to keep Ely’s top elected position.Challengers Roger Skraba and Mark Haarman both entered the contest last week.Skraba, a former city council member and the Independence Party’s candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives two years ago, said he wants to take city government in a new direction.Haarman indicated last fall that he would run for mayor and came through on his promise Friday.The top two vote-getters in the mayoral primary will square off in the November general election.Six city council candidates will move on to the general election, with three four-year terms at stake.Debeltz and Zupec already have five challengers, including previous candidate Pat Osaben, city planning commission member Robin Mathews, city employee Louis Kotzian and first-time candidates David Schmidt and Charles J. Novak.Anyone else seeking office has until Tuesday to file for this year’s election.Affidavits of candidacy will be accepted at the city clerk’s office during business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). To be eligible, a candidate must be a qualified voter of the City of Ely, at least 21 on the date of taking office (January, 2005), a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days. A $5 filing fee is also required.