About City Council
About this position
The City Legislature is the municipality's governing body, responsible for voting on ordinances and policies, and often is in charge of hiring a city manager.
- Office level
- City
- Election frequency
- Every 4 years
- Typical salary
- $42,213 / year
- Commitment level
- Part Time
- Affiliation
- Nonpartisan
- Positions
- 1 open seat
Election type
- Partisan election (party labels appear on ballots)
- Run-off election
How to run for City Council
- Step 1
Meet eligibility requirements
Must be 18 years of age, a resident of the city for at least 1 year and a U.S. Citizen
- Step 2
File for office
- Filing requirements
- No filing free. Petition Signature requirements: 1% of the registered voters of the district but in no event less than 25 signatures.
- Filing period
- January 1, 2028 - March 6, 2028
- Paperwork instructions
- Submit paperwork to the municipal clerk's office (for party candidates); submit paperwork to the county clerk's office (for independent candidates).
- Where to file
- 155 Market Street Paterson, NJ 07505
- Filing phone
- 973-321-1600
- Step 3
Launch your campaign
A real campaign starts with a real plan. Get a custom campaign plan from GoodParty.org, personalized for your race and district.
Get started
Need help? You don't have to run alone. Join the GoodParty.org Community to get advice from real independents who have run and won.
Who's currently in office
Learn about who represents you in Paterson.
What this symbol means
Candidates and elected officials with this symbol took the GoodParty.org Pledge, promising to serve people first, independent of both major parties and big-money interests.
- View profile
Michael "Mike" JacksonWard 1Nonpartisan · Current term 2024 to 2028 - View profile
Shahin KhaliqueWard 2Nonpartisan · Current term 2024 to 2028 - View profile
Alex MendezWard 3Nonpartisan · Current term 2024 to 2028 - View profile
Ruby CottonWard 4Nonpartisan · Current term 2024 to 2028 - View profile
Luis VelezWard 5Nonpartisan · Current term 2024 to 2028 - View profile
Paula AlfordAt LargeNonpartisan · Current term 2026 to 2030 - View profile
Maritza DavilaAt LargeNonpartisan · Current term 2026 to 2030 - View profile
Lilisa MimmsAt LargeNonpartisan · Current term 2026 to 2030
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