DIXON, CA (MPG) - Kicking the election season into gear, several people have pulled nomination papers to run for elected offices in Dixon with both District 4 Councilman Devon Minnema and District 3 Councilman Steve Bird becoming “verified candidates” for Mayor.

'Pulling papers' means that the person is interested in running for office but must complete two additional steps to become an official candidate. Step two is getting 30 signatures from Dixon residents who vouch for that person and step three is turning the signed papers back into the City Clerk who then confirms that they are indeed registered voters in Dixon.

As of Tuesday morning, Mayor Thom Bogue also pulled papers. Bogue endorsed Steve Bird publicly when Bird announced last year, in an unusually early gesture, that he would seek that post.

Two Planning Commissioners pulled papers for council seats; Kevin Johnson, for District 3 and Don Hendershot for District 4. Former City Councilman Jerry Castanon also pulled papers for District 4.  

James Ward Jr. pulled nomination papers for City Treasurer as well as Wesley Atkinson for re-election to the post. The candidates have until August 7 to return their papers and be verified, unless no incumbent in the race is running, in which case the deadline is extended to August 12.

Bogue would be running for re-election. He is the owner of First Choice Automotive and served as Vice Mayor during an earlier term as City Councilman in 2010 and lost a re-election bid in 2014. He ran for mayor in 2016 and won.

Bird is currently the Vice Mayor and is serving his second term as Councilman of District 3. He won his first term as Councilman in 2012 after retiring from the Dixon Police Department and was re-elected in 2016.

Minnema first ran in 2014 at age 19 and was elected as Councilman in 2016 representing District 4. He is well known for intergenerational engagement on social media and in newspapers, as well as his work on zoning reform. He serves on the Board of Kiwanis.

Johnson is a local Re/Max Gold Realtor who has served on the City Planning Commission since 2013 and is currently the Chair. He is a past President of the Chamber of Commerce and Dixon Rotary.

Hendershot is a District Attorney Investigator, served in the Air Force, and coaches softball locally. He is also in his second term on the City Planning Commission. 

Castanon is a former Councilman, a field representative for the carpenters union, and is the new leader of the Knights of Columbus in Dixon.

Ward is a retired CHP Officer, is a veteran, and is active in the Kiwanis Club of Dixon. Ward ran for the District 1 seat in 2018 on a fiscal responsibility platform.

Atkinson is interested in being re-elected as he is the current City Treasurer.

These are the offices open: Mayor (Elected At-Large representing entire city) – 4-year term; City Council Member District 3 – Four Year Term; City Council Member District 4 – 4-year term; and, City Treasurer (Elected At-Large representing entire city) – 4-year term.

Official nomination documents for eligible candidates desiring to file for offices will continue to be available at City Hall, City Clerk’s Office, 600 East A Street, in Dixon. Candidates must be 18 years old or older, reside and be registered to vote within the City of Dixon. Candidates running for City Council must also reside within the District for which they are running.

There are fees ranging from approximately $200 to $500 to run if one is planning to do a candidate’s statement which appears in the sample ballot that are collected at the time of returning papers.

To view a map of the four districts, there is no really simple path at this time but you can go online to the City of Dixon and select Elections then scroll down to see an option to click on District Boundaries Map 2016 or go here: https://www.ci.dixon.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/7224/Dixon-2016-Adopted-Map-lg-format?bidId=

Due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, candidate filing is by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (707) 678-7000. Candidates are encouraged to call as early as possible to ensure candidacy nomination paperwork is completed prior to the filing deadline. Visit https://www.ci.dixon.ca.us/378/Election-Information for more information on offices, measures, and deadlines.