Nominating petitions for three district seats on the North Central Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees will be available Monday, Jan. 9, at the cooperative’s office in Attica. Cooperative members interested in a seat will need to secure at least 25 signatures from members residing in their district, similar to the process that township trustees and school board members must follow.  

Petitions must be filed with the cooperative by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13. 

Board members whose terms expire in 2017 include Kevin E. Bishop, District 1 (Crawford and Richland counties); Dennis W. Schindler, District 2 (Wyandot County); and Nick W. Wagner, District 3 (southeast Seneca County and western Huron County). 

The current nomination and election process has been in place since 2013. The cooperative has yet to conduct a mail/online election, because none of the elections have been contested. A provision in the Code of Regulations states if none of the races are contested, the cooperative does not have to go to the expense of conducting an election. Instead, the candidates are deemed elected at the annual meeting in accordance with the Code of Regulations. 

If there is a contested election, all members will be mailed a ballot in May. They will have approximately one month to cast a mail or electronic ballot. Winners will be announced at the annual meeting June 13.
How are the candidates selected?

Those who wish to represent their district on the board of trustees must reside in the district for which they are running. They must obtain at least 25 signatures of members within their respective district. Nominating petitions will be available starting Monday, Jan. 9. 
How many candidates can be on the ballot?

The Code of Regulations states only two candidates per district can be on the annual meeting ballot. Should three or more candidates file petitions for the same district by Monday, Feb. 8, a runoff election will be conducted by a mail/electronic ballot in the respective district. The two candidates with the most votes in the runoff election will have their names placed on the official election ballot. 

What are the trustee petition particulars?
• Under the North Central Code of Regulations, a husband and wife hold a single, joint membership with the cooperative and, therefore, only one can sign the petition for their joint membership. The signatures will be validated by the cooperative.
• The candidate must be a member in good standing with the electric cooperative, be at least 18 years old, and have received electric service from North Central Electric for at least one year prior to being elected to the board.
• Members are not eligible to seek election if they have been employed by the cooperative within the past five years or if they are a close relative to an existing trustee or an employee of the cooperative.
• Candidates cannot be employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy or supplies to the cooperative or a business primarily engaged in selling electrical or plumbing appliances, fixtures, or supplies to members.

What are the board’s primary responsibilities?
The board sets rates and policies and oversees the operation of the cooperative by approving budgets and work plans, reviewing financial and other reports, and appraising management performances. 

How much time is required of a board member?
February through December, the board usually meets on the first Saturday of each month. The meetings begin at 8 a.m. and usually last four to five hours. The January meeting lasts the better part of a weekday in early to mid-January and is devoted to reviewing and approving the budget.

In addition to attending monthly meetings, board members spend four to 10 hours per month reading materials to prepare for the board meeting. Trustees also serve on one or two committees that meet periodically. Many attend state, regional, and national meetings, as well as various training and educational courses.

Trustees are encouraged to complete a national certification program by the end of their second term.