Ballots for the city council primary races in four of Billings' five wards were mailed out Friday.
Voters in Ward 3, which includes midtown Billings and the neighborhoods in the Blue Creek area annexed by the city, will be the only residents who don't receive ballots. Ward 3 has only two candidates — Danny Choriki and Aldo A. Rowe — running, negating the need for a primary; they'll appear on ballots in November's general election.
For the other four wards, the ballots will be packed. Election law stipulates a primary for city council races when at least three of the wards have four or more candidates, or one ward has at least five candidates.
This year, Billings had both. And with the primaries comes the additional cost to the county of running an extra election.
"It's about a dollar a voter," said Bret Rutherford, the elections administrator for Yellowstone County.
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The city has roughly 50,000 registered voters, 11,000 of them won't get ballots because they reside within Ward 3. Still, Rutherford anticipates the election will cost somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000.
With no mayoral race part of this primary, Rutherford isn't sure what to expect in terms of turnout. He guessed it could be somewhere around 40%.
Primary ballots must be returned to the county election office by Sept. 10. All registered voters in the four wards with a primary should receive their ballots in the mail. Anyone who doesn't can visit the county elections office for help.
Running in Ward 1 are Kendra Shaw; John S. Armstrong; and Jim Ronquillo, who has served on the city council before. Ward 1 includes downtown Billings, the North Park and South Park neighborhoods, and the southern corner of the Heights.
Running in Ward 2 are Roy Neese, who was appointed to the council late last year and is the only incumbent in any of the races; Michael Richardson; Randy Heinz; and Roger Gravgaard. Ward 2 includes the Heights north of Hilltop Road.
Running in Ward 4 are Pam Purinton, Daron Olson, Gordon Olson, Carmelita Dominguez, and Nicole Gallagher. Ward 4 includes the neighborhoods along the Rimrock Road corridor out to about 70th Street West and Rehberg Ranch.
Matthew J. Senn, who had filed to be a candidate in Ward 4, pulled out of the primary earlier this summer. His decision to leave the race came after the election office's deadline to drop out, so his name will still appear on the ballot.
Running in Ward 5 are Dennis Ulvestad, Leilahni Kay, Mike Boyett, Jennifer Merecki, and Fredrick J. Wilburn. Ward 5 includes the West End south of Colton Boulevard.
Billings City Council candidates: Ward 1
Get to know the candidates for Billings City Council Ward 1.
On Friday, the Yellowstone County elections office will mail ballots to registered voters in four of Billings' five City Council wards. The ba…
1. Public Safety is priority. I will support the police, fire department, and city mental health services in their efforts to keep our streets…
1. Public safety is the most important issue. I’ll address budget below, so let’s jump straight to the other half of the issue. Contributing f…
1. Important issue for Ward 1: A. Homelessness, what do we do with them and how do we take care of the problem. B. We must address homelessnes…
Billings City Council candidates: Ward 2
Get to know the candidates for Billings City Council Ward 2.
On Friday, the Yellowstone County elections office will mail ballots to registered voters in four of Billings' five City Council wards. The ba…
1. When talking to Ward 2 residents, the most prevalent issue that keeps coming up in conversation is public safety. Folks are worried about t…
1. As I've talked to residents, I found most important to them is that they live in a community where they can enjoy the place they live, work…
1. The issue that seems to be causing the most concern with people is public safety. How can this be addressed? The people of Billings need to…
1. I think one of the things for Ward 2 is Main Street and growing business in the Billings Heights area.
Billings City Council candidates: Ward 3
Get to know the candidates for Billings City Council Ward 3.
Today's opinion page presents The Gazette City Council survey responses from Ward 3 candidates Aldo Rowe and Danny Choriki. Both of these cand…
Hello residents of Ward 3, I am running for City Council and humbly asking you for your support. I am married, have two sons and a very suppor…
1. Sprawl increases travel time and increases the costs of public services. In 1970, Billings had a population of 61,581 and was 14.7 square m…
Billings City Council candidates: Ward 4
Get to know the candidates for Billings City Council Ward 4.
Today's opinion page presents Gazette City Council survey responses from Ward 4 candidates Carmelita Dominguez, Nicole Gallagher, Daron Olson,…
1. Safety. People should feel safe in their home and community. Recent news stories of vandalism and theft in Ward 4, and the statistics of se…
1. We must protect our families and neighbors while investing in the future. Public safety is a critical issue in Billings. I gained insight t…
1. Public safety is the most important issue facing our city. We can't grow a city that does not have safety as a top priority. I would suppor…
1. I take a general consensus of people I meet in Billings on issues. Without a doubt, crime is a major consideration. I have reviewed numerou…
1. The most common question/comment has been, “What is the deal with that convention center downtown and who is paying for it?” In some areas …
Billings City Council candidates: Ward 5
Get to know the candidates for Billings City Council Ward 5.
The Yellowstone County elections office will mail about 47,000 ballots today to registered voters in four of Billings' five City Council wards…
1. The Completion of Centennial Park. The Completion of The Water Treatment Center. The completion of the West End Water Reservoir, and the ma…
1. The biggest issue I hear is public safety. I would support a framework for using community-local government partnerships to reduce crime, a…
1. The most important issue for residents in Ward 5 is public safety, specifically crime and traffic violations. The majority of crime in Bill…
1. I have always considered that public safety should certainly be the number one priority of every person on the City Council. If elected I w…