With less than two weeks to go before petitions are due back from candidates who want to run for the Auburn school board (as of Wednesday afternoon, one petition was in and six were still expected) and for other districts, the clock is quickly running out for those who want to toss their hat into the ring.

For those who want to run to become a member of the Auburn City Council or Cayuga County Legislature, there are about 50 days before petitions can be circulated and another 30 before they can be filed by candidates.

The big question for many who want to run is: What do I need to do to run?

While political parties will sometimes assist (mainly to make sure they don't have multiple candidates running for the same office and also to separate, early on, the wheat from the chaff when it comes to viability) by holding meetings and/or training sessions for prospective candidates, most of the time such candidates are on their own.

They have to not only figure out whether they want to run, but how to organize themselves and a campaign, and just as importantly, identify what sources of funding -personal# mainly for school board candidates or donors for other elected offices - they can count on.

It was once asked if candidates had “a fire in the belly to serve,” especially when there was a plethora of candidates out there. Today it mainly goes to whether one is willing to serve and raise their own money. The smartest candidates start off talking to family and friends to get their input and, if necessary, in the case of a spouse, their support.

At a bare minimum those who might be thinking of running for any local office should be attending meetings of the bodies they want to serve in, immediately. Reviewing the tapings of meetings (with city hall going to biweekly un-televised work sessions that is no longer an option) only gives one perspective. It is much different to be in the room where meetings occur to see how the group dynamics of the body work. It also gives a candidate a sense of place #- that isn't interrupted by phone calls, a spouse or children asking for something or other distractions.

Attending meetings on a regular basis also allows prospective candidates to put into context a multitude of issues. While it is easy to say you are for this particular piece of legislation or support that idea, it is important to see how it is part of the bigger picture (often that of the budget puzzle).

No one who wants to run for city council, county Legislature or a school board should do so without at least attending a handful of meetings before announcing their candidacy. Once they have, then it is time to contact party leaders and local committee people to seek the endorsement of a political party for certain offices.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com