Before Monday, the first day candidacies for the Nov. 2 City Council elections were officially open, Mayor Dennis Gillette had raised more than $10,000 and Councilmember Andrew Fox had filed intention forms to collect donations.

As two of the incumbents were holding their hands out for cash, the third council member with a seat up for reelection was biding her time. Some began to wonder if she was going to run again.

“I’m running for reelection,” Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña said.

She calls her self the “anti-establishment” candidate.

“I want to stay a true grass-roots candidate,” Bill-de la Peña said.

Gillette’s quick influx of cash came partly from a $5,000 loan from his wife and himself.

“I wanted to be able to buy stationary and stamps and all of that,” he said.

He’s already sent out his first campaign mailer to friends, family and former contributors.

This is Gillette’s eighth campaign—four for City Council, four for the board of Conejo Recreation and Park District—since 1987, so he has experience in getting elected.

Candidates can take up to $360 from any individual or committee. That’s an increase of $10 over last year but still limits large, special-interest donations.

There’s no limit to how much of their own money a candidate can spend, said City Clerk Linda Lawrence.

Residents can decide for themselves what they think about the money candidates have collected when they find out who made the donations.

All candidates must disclose by Aug. 2 how much money they’ve collected from Jan. 1 through June 30 and who the donors are.

July 12 was the first day anyone could take out papers to run for City Council.

To be a City Council candidate, one must be a registered voter living within the Thousand Oaks city limits at the time nomination forms are issued. Forms and guidelines are available at the city clerk’s office.

Gillette and Fox pulled their papers to run the first day.

“I find it rewarding and challenging to serve the community,” Gillette said.

Fox returned a phone call, but didn’t have much to say.

Challengers who also pulled papers from the city clerk’s office were Frank Akrey, Deborah Birenbaum and William Martin.

The application process continues through Aug. 6.

The deadline would be extended to Aug. 11 for everyone but incumbents if any incumbent didn’t pull papers by Aug. 6, but it appears all three will.

Anyone who’d like an appointment, which isn’t required to pull papers during the nomination period, may make one by contacting the city clerk at (805) 449-2151.

There’s no charge to run, but it costs $1,000 for a candidate to have a personal statement of no more than 200 words included in the sample ballot.

Nominations require 20 valid signatures of registered voters who live within Thousand Oaks city limits. The nomination form provides room for 30 signatures.

Lawrence suggests a person seeking nomination collect all 30, just in case the county cannot validate some signatures as the form moves through the verification process.

City Council members are paid $1,700 a month and receive medical insurance benefits for the service they provide.