The City of Savannah will hold Municipal Elections on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. The Mayor and all eight aldermen are up for election.

State law requires that each “governing authority of any county or municipality, not later than February 1 of any year in which a general primary, nonpartisan election, or general election is to be held, and at least 35 days prior to the special primary or election in the case of a special primary or special election, shall fix and publish a qualifying fee for each county or municipal office to be filled in the upcoming primary or election. Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, such fee shall be 3 percent of the total gross salary of the office paid in the preceding calendar year including all supplements authorized by law if a salaried office” (O.C.G.A. 21-2-131(a)(1)(A)).

The terms of office are four years for all nine nonpartisan positions, beginning January 1, 2020 and ending December 31, 2023. The 2018 salary for the position of Mayor was $57,000; and for the position of Aldermen was $25,000. As such, the qualifying fee for the position of Mayor will be $1,710; and for the position of Aldermen the fee will be $750.

The City of Savannah also contracts with the Chatham County Board of Elections to conduct the election and the Clerk of Council serves as Municipal Elections Superintendent. $200,000 has been allocated in the Clerk of Council's budget from the General Fund for the 2019 Municipal Election and any potential runoff election(s). State law further requires that all qualification fees be paid and transmitted to the superintendent of the municipality as soon as possible, and “applied toward the cost of holding the election” (O.C.G.A. 21-2-131(a)(5)(B)).

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