When there was a vacancy recently for a seat on Summit Hill Borough Council, I facetiously suggested to my niece that she should apply. She was not amused.

Over the years, I have been asked to run for political office. Although nothing would prevent me from doing so legally, I have always maintained that journalists should not seek elective office or appointments to political boards or commissions. There are too many concerns not only over conflicts of interest in fact but also because of the appearance of conflicts of interest.

Having covered politics for more than 60 years and having seen some of the negatives of running for or holding public office, I am amazed that there are as many candidates as there are.

Thank goodness for them. They put a lot on the line, especially now when the political climate is so overheated, and unthinking people are quick to criticize in the harshest and most intemperate of ways.

Many local politicians in Carbon and Schuylkill counties have told me over the years that they expect criticism for their actions and decisions, but they become really angry when members of their family, who have nothing to do with their decision-making, are also attacked verbally and sometimes threatened physically on social media or when they are innocently out in public.

So this begs the question: Why would anyone put himself or herself in such a vulnerable position? There are still citizens who feel they can make a contribution to their communities, state and nation, and they are willing to subject themselves to the many pitfalls that go along with their commitment to public service. I refer to it as “paying their community rent,” a way to give back to their communities as a way to express gratitude for what they have been given in life.

I am sure some of you reading this column have at one time or another considered running for office. “If I were in there …” Often, it’s based on one issue that has you really worked up. We frequently see this when candidates run for school board. A number of anti-COVID-19 mandate candidates were elected last November. Some also were angry that parents do not have greater say in what their children are being taught, which has resulted in some books being banned from school libraries and calls for changes in curriculum over the way racial theories and gay rights issues are being taught. Being a board member, however, involves so much more than these hot-button items.

I strongly recommend that before you run for office that you consider all that is involved. There is a lot. As a first step, you need to talk it over with your family to make sure they are on board with what could be coming in a political campaign, or, if you win office, what some of the fallout for them might be.

It is going to cost a fee to run for most public offices. For example, we have two local residents running for the Republican nomination for governor - Shawn Berger of Palmerton and Dr. Nche Zama of the Poconos. For them to even get on the ballot, they must pay a $200 filing fee and obtain 1,000 signatures of registered Republicans, at least 100 from 10 different counties.

The fees and number of signers of a petition vary if a candidate runs for a countywide or municipal office. On top of that, there are requirements as to who is allowed to sign nominating petitions.

There are prescribed rules for circulating petitions, with deadlines strictly enforced. Each page of a petition must be properly documented, and each signature must conform to the official signature of the signee on file at the voter registration office. There are also restrictions on those who sign the petitions as to how many petitions they can sign during an election cycle and preciseness to designate the signee’s municipality.

For example, a Mahoning Township signee might have a mailing address of Lehighton but must indicate that he or she lives in Mahoning Township. That person cannot sign petitions for candidates running for municipal office in Lehighton borough.

Those who decide to run for office need to be aware of major requirements before starting their campaigns. First and foremost, they must be knowledgeable about the duties and responsibilities of the office they seek. For example, if you plan to run for borough council, you should become familiar with the Borough Code, which includes the state laws that govern the office. The same is true for those running for township office (Second Class Township Code) or school board (Public School Code).

One important requirement that is often a turnoff for prospective candidates is the requirement to file a Statement of Financial Interest to head off any conflicts of interest. In addition, candidates must file Campaign Finance Reports if they plan on raising funds to finance their campaign or plan to raise or spend more than $250 in each of several reporting periods. There are fines for failing to meet these reporting deadlines plus the possibility of adverse publicity.

Here’s a tip you won’t find in official sources for prospective candidates: Seek out recent officeholders for the position you are seeking and get some firsthand anecdotal information on what the experience was like.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.