General requirements for candidates wishing to run for elected office in Mendocino County:

Must be a registered voter in Mendocino County 18 years of age or older,U.S. citizen, must not be in prison or on parole for a felony,mentally competent and must be able to document qualifications for specific office sought (see each office specific qualifications below).

The next election for county-wide offices is March 5, 2002. Prospective candidates can file for candidacy from November 13, 2001 and must file by December 7, 2001. That deadline is extended by one week for non-incumbents if an incumbent does not file by the required date.

Filing fee is 1% of the salary of the office for which one files or a specified number of signatures. Each signature is worth an amount determined by dividing the number of signatures into the filing fee for that office.

The number of signatures-in-lieu required for candidacy equals 10% of the registered voters in the county - in the supervisorial district in the case of the Supervisors, - on the date candidate filing opens.

In addition, there is a $200 fee to be listed in the sample ballot booklet and another $400 to have that translated into Spanish. If the Registrar determines that translation costs amount to less than the $400, the
candidate will be refunded the extra amount paid.

ELECTED OFFICES

Assessor-Clerk -Recorder - (4-year office)

Incumbent: Marsha Wharff - 5th term ends 12/31/02

Requirements for Office:
No special requirements

Salary: $72,197/year

Assessor - County Clerk - Recorder supervises 36 employees.

Auditor-Controller - (4-year office)

Incumbent: Dennis Huey - 4th term ends December 31. 2002

Requirements For Office:
Must be either a Certified Public Accountant, graduate of a school of
accounting or County Auditor or Deputy County Auditor for a continuous period of not less than three years.

Salary - $67,196/year

Auditor-Controller supervises 8 employees

District Attorney - (4-year office)

Incumbent: Norm Vroman - 1st term ends December 31, 2002.

Requirements for Office:
Must be admitted to practice before the State Supreme Court.

Salary: $90,080/year

District Attorney supervises a 100 employees

Superior Court Judge - (6-year, at-large office)

Incumbents:

Eric Labowicz - Current term ends 12/31/06
Ronald Combest - Current term ends 12/31/06
Jonathon Lehan - Current term ends 12/31/02
Henry Nelson - Current term ends 12/31/02
Cindee Mayfield - Current term ends 12/31/02
Conrad Cox - Current term ends 12/31/02
Ron Brown - Current term 12/31/02
Joseph Orr - Retired as of 12/31/00
Vince Lechowick - Retired as of 12/31/00 - no replacement at this time
Richard Henderson - Replaces Judge Orr, effective 1/1/01 - Term
ends 12/31/06

Requirements for Office:
Must be a member of the State Bar or served as a judge of a court of record
for 10 years immediately preceding selection.

Salary: $117, 912/year

Judges make no appointments and make policy decisions only in concert and
subject to approval by the State Judicial Counsel

Sheriff-Coroner - (4-year office)

Incumbent, Tony Craver - First term ends 12/31/02

Requirements for Office:
Must have an active or inactive advanced POST certificate, and 1 year of
full-time salaried law enforcement experience, some within the last 5 years
and a master's degree from an accredited college or 2 years of full-time,
salaried law enforcement experience, some within the last 5 years and a
bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or 3 years of
full-time salaried law enforcement experience, some within the last 5 years
and an associate in arts or science degree from an accredited college or
university, or 4 years of full-time, salaried law enforcement experience,
some within the last 5 years and a high school diploma or equivalent.

Salary: $78,846/year

Sheriff-Coroner supervises 160 employees

Treasurer-Tax Collector (4-year office)

Incumbent, Tim Knutson - 3rd term ends 12/31/02

Requirements for Office:
Must have either served in a senior financial management position for three
years or a bachelors, masters or doctoral degree from an accredited college
in a related field or a certificate issued by the California State Board of
Accountancy and a permit authorizing the candidate to practice as a
certified public acountant or a valid charter showing the candidate to be a
designated Chartered Financial Analyst with a minimum of 16 college
semester units in accounting, auditing, or finance or a certificate showing
the candidate to be designated a Certified Cash Manager with a minimum of 16
college semester units in accounting, auditing or finance.

Salary - $61,992/year

Superintendent of Schools (4-year term)

Incumbent, Paul Tichinin - 2nd term ends 12/31/04

Requirements for Office
Must have a valid Class 5 certification document authorizing administrative
services.

Salary - $87,516/year

County Supervisor (4-year term)

DISTRICT 1 - Incumbent, Michael Delbar - 2nd term ends 12/31/04

DISTRICT 2- Incumbent, Richard Shoemaker - 3rd term ends 12/31/04

DISTRICT 3 - Incumbent, Tom Lucier - 1st term ends 12/31/02

DISTRICT 4 - Incumbent, Patti Campbell - 2nd term ends 12/31/04

DISTRICT 5 - Incumbent David Colfax - 1st term ends 12/31/02

also see Supervisor Districts Map

Requirements for Office:
Must be registered to vote in the appropriate Supervisorial District and
must be a resident of that district for 30 days prior to the close of the
filing deadline.

Salary - $33,657/year

Supervisors make policy decisions for the governance of the County and
appoint, by majority vote, the members of official County boards and
commissions, cemetery districts and similar public bodies.

Also see the following link for an evaluation of some of the incumbent supervisors and judges:
http://www.knowthecandidates.org/ktc/primmendosupes.htm

Coming soon.... Appointments and Commissions.