City Government > Department Pages > City Clerk's Office
Janae K. Cooper, Belding City Clerk
The City Clerk is an appointed position. The Clerk manages a highly diversified and imperative role in local government as the chief election official to the keeper of the records.
The City Clerk is responsible for overseeing all elections held in the city of Belding by following Michigan Election Law, maintaining a permanent absent voter list, issuing absentee ballots, conducting public accuracy testing, training election workers, accepting campaign filings for city council vacancies, coordinating election workers between three precincts and one absent voter counting board (AVCB), registering voters and delivering accurate results to the County of Ionia and the State of Michigan while ensuring precinct re-countability if needed. The Clerk is also a member of the City Election Commission as established by the City Charter. Ms. Cooper has obtained and maintains her status as an Accredited Election Official though the State of Michigan Bureau of Elections.
Typical clerk responsibilities also include preparing agendas and agenda packets with supplemental information for bi-weekly City Council meetings, monthly Planning Commission and Recreation Advisory Board meetings, a bi-monthly Downtown Development Authority meeting, as well as, Zoning Board of Appeals and Election Commission meetings on an as-needed basis. This includes posting public meeting notices as required by law, preparing and preserving accurate minutes of actions taken at the various board and commission meetings, including certifying resolutions and motions. The clerk prepares bylaws, ordinances, agreements and affidavits and prepares and administers oaths. The clerk is in possession of the city seal and affixes the seal when required.
The City Clerk is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Coordinator and acts as the liaison between city departments and Michigan Municipal League (MML) for liability insurance claims. Additional responsibilities include submitting publications as needed to local newspapers, website postings and maintenance, social media postings, managing the Adopt-A-Spot program, issuing Peddler Permits, issuing Garbage Haulers License Renewals, submitting the Annual Tree City USA Recertification, and preparing a quarterly newsletter, the Belding Bugle. The clerk also has an active role in the Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament and Labor Day festivities. Notary Public services are available through the City Clerk’s office.
The Clerk assists the City Manager on selected projects.
The Michigan Voter Information Center is a great source for information!
Voters can use the Michigan Voter Information Center to:
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 - Primary Election
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 - General Election
FILING REQUIREMENTS – BELDING CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
Three City Council member seats are expiring in November, 2022. For those seeking election as a City Councilmember:
You must be a registered and qualified elector in the City of Belding. MCL 168.492
Perspective Belding City Council Members file City/Township Nonpartisan Nominating Petitions. All petitions used by candidates must be in the format prescribed by the Michigan Election Law, P.A. 116 of 1954, MCL 168.1 et seq. Petition forms are available from county and local election officials.
The filing deadline is Tuesday, July 26, 2022 by 4:00 p.m. There are no exceptions. A filing fee shall not be paid in lieu of filing petitions.
The Belding City Charter nomination process supersedes Michigan Election Law, therefore, a minimum of 75 and a maximum of 125 valid signatures (registered and qualified electors in the City of Belding) must be collected no more than 40 days prior to the filing deadline. This means that your petition signatures must not be dated before Thursday, June 16, 2022. Doing so will invalidate those signatures/petition. You are urged to collect more than the minimum number of signatures and to file your nominating petitions in ample time prior to the filing deadline in an attempt to resolve any issues on the petitions.
The filing official for the office of Belding City Council Member is the BELDING CITY CLERK, Janae Cooper.
An Affidavit of Identity and Receipt of Filing must be submitted at the time of filing. Please note that this form must be notarized. The City Clerk is a notary and may fulfill this obligation with the presentation of a valid form of photo identification with signature.
ALL candidates shall comply with the Michigan Campaign Finance Act (Act 388 of 1976). A Statement of Organization must be filed with the IONIA COUNTY CLERK:
Greg Geiger
100 Main Street
Ionia, MI 48846
ggeiger@ioniacounty.org
It is your responsibility to satisfy any and all Michigan Campaign Act Reporting Requirements. Failure to do so may result in the assessment of fines.
The City of Belding is looking for highly motivated individuals to work the polls on Election Day. Election workers are compensated positions.
Download a File:
120 S. Pleasant Street
Belding, Michigan 48809
Phone: (616) 794-1900
Fax: (616) 794-0091
Emergency: Phone 911
Office Hours
Monday - Thursday
7:00am - 6:00pm
Department Head Contact Information
City Manager, Jon Stoppels, ext. 206
jstoppels@ci.belding.mi.us
City Clerk, Janae Cooper, ext. 210
j.cooper@ci.belding.mi.us
City Treasurer & Finance Director, Becky Schlienz, ext. 203
becky@ci.belding.mi.us
Chief of Police, Dale Nelson, ext. 222
dnelson@ci.belding.mi.us
Fire Chief, Tim Lubitz, ext. 208
t.lubitz@ci.belding.mi.us
City Assessor, Bob Naumann, ext. 201
assessor@ci.belding.mi.us
Department of Public Works Director, Todd Frisbie, 616-794-1340
t.frisbie@ci.belding.mi.us
Dial-A-Ride Director, Valerie Conklin, 616-794-3278
dialaride@ci.belding.mi.us