NEDERLAND — City Hall will begin accepting applications at 8 a.m. Wednesday for mayor and City Council candidates for wards 2 and 4.

Applications are available at City Clerk Gay Ferguson’s office, where completed forms should be returned. According to the city charter, an applicant must be an American citizen, a qualified voter in the state of Texas and shall have resided in Nederland at least one year before the election.

The mayor and each councilmember should not be indebted to the city during the time they take office or during their term. Annual salary for the mayor and the councilmembers is $1 per year.

Councilmembers Billy Neal and Craig Belaire will seek reelection. Mayor R. A. “Dick” Nugent will not run for reelection.

Nugent served as Nederland mayor since 2004, with Neal and Belaire serving as councilmembers since 2002 and 2014, respectively.

Nugent began his city of Nederland service in 1965, first as Civil Defense coordinator. He was first elected to the Nederland City Council In 1968 and served from 1968-1988 and from 1996-2004.

Neal served chief for Nederland Police Department for 41 years and has been involved in Nederland public service for 60 years.

Belaire served as the president of the Nederland Independent School District school board for 12 years, director of the Nederland Economic Development Center, and director of the International Rotary Club of Nederland.

City Hall will accept applications until Feb. 15, in accordance with Texas law.

According to the city’s website, applicants will have to pay a $25 filing fee or present a petition signed by a minimum number of 25 qualified voters from within the ward for a councilmember, or from within the city for mayor.