CENTRALIA — Nominating petitions for the 2021 Centralia Consolidated Election started rolling in Monday morning. Mayor-Elect Bryan Kuder was the first mayoral candidate to submit his petitions, while Jeffery Castellari, Jason A. Hunter and Robert “Rob” Jackson all submitted their petitions for one of the two City Council seats up for election.

Kuder will be listed first on the April ballot for the Mayor’s seat, while Castellari, Hunter and Jackson will join in a lottery to decide top placement of their names.

Sitting Mayor Herb Williams announced Sunday that he will seek election to the remaining two years in the current mayoral term.

According to the Centralia Clerk’s Office, Williams has not yet submitted nominating petitions. The deadline to submit nominating packets is November 23.

Williams was appointed to the seat in 2019 after the City Council vacated the election of Bryan Kuder claiming he was ineligible to hold the office due to residency requirements.

Kuder has challenged that decision in court saying he maintains a residence in the city despite owning a home outside the city limits.

That case remains undecided in Marion County Court and after suffering multiple delays at the request of City attorneys will likely see its next court hearing on December 11 also delayed as the City’s attorney Doug Gruenke was elected last month as Clinton County State’s Attorney and will be sworn into office December 1.