Dean Proposes Changes in City Elections

LONGVIEW — Changes may be coming in the way Longview runs its elections. Mayor Jay Dean has proposed possible addition of a filing fee or requiring candidates to acquire a certain number of signatures before being placed on the ballot for city elections. The proposal comes after a Dean opponent moved away just before the May election. Dean says he just wants to make sure taxpayers’ money isn’t being wasted. According to Dean, some of the people who filed for the election weren’t “serious candidates.” He says they “really didn’t plan to win the election, they didn’t plan to serve, it was just an emotion thing.” Right now, city officials are exploring other options. According to KETK, any changes would have to be approved by the Department of Justice and then voted on by local residents.