Stillwater will no longer have primary elections for local offices, and the list of city officials required to submit financial disclosures has been shortened.

The Stillwater City Council last month passed a resolution revoking a 1970 resolution that required that nominees for city offices be chosen by a primary election system. That “system is hereby revoked, rescinded, and terminated and is no longer in force or effect,” according to the resolution passed on Sept. 17.

Stillwater was the only city in Washington County to hold primaries, according to county elections staff. Now, no matter how many people file for a council seat or mayor, all of those names will be on the ballot in November.

There are two candidates vying for the Ward 2 seat in the November general election: Lindsay Belland, a University of Minnesota Foundation event planner, and Sirid Kellermann, a biotechnology consultant and the chairwoman of the city’s Human Rights Commission.

Council members also changed the city charter to clarify which officials must submit financial disclosures within 30 days of taking the oath of office.

Those who must submit the disclosures include members of the city’s planning commission, members of the city’s heritage preservation commission, the city’s community development director, the city administrator and elected or appointed members of Stillwater City Council.

Previously, the list included members of all boards and commissions, elected officials, department heads, the city administrator and city attorney (and all members of the firm).

Most cities only require financial disclosures from elected officials, not from staff or commissions, said City Attorney Korine Land. The rationale of disclosures is to remind officials that they cannot have a financial conflict in a matter that comes before them.

“It is important to remember that even if the city did not require a financial disclosure form, financial conflicts of interest are prohibited by law and are punishable by voiding the contract, by being removed from office and in some cases, by gross misdemeanor criminal charges,” Land wrote. “Anyone who has a potential conflict of interest is required to disclose it and not participate in the discussion or the vote. Regardless of the completion of the ‘form,’ this disclosure and abstention is required.”

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