WITH THE close of the filing period a week away, the only official candidate in the April 8, 2014, Carmel city election so far is planning commissioner Steve Dallas, who submitted his paperwork and had the signatures verified this week.

Nominees need just 20 signatures of registered voters within the city in order to secure a place on the ballot, and Dallas submitted 30 on Monday afternoon. Deputy city clerk Daryl Betancur verified them with the Monterey County Elections department this week.

Dallas said he obtained signatures from a wide range of voters, seeking people aligned with various organizations and camps to show a diverse level of support.

Signers on Dallas’ petition are: Planning commissioners Don Goodhue, Michael LePage, Janet Reimers and Keith Paterson; former Carmel Mayors Jean Grace, Charlotte Townsend, Sue McCloud and Ken White; city council members Victoria Beach and Carrie Theis; former councilwoman and Carmel Residents Association board member Barbara Livingston, and Mayor Jason Burnett’s wife, Melissa — though not the mayor himself.

Also CRA members Roberta and Monte Miller; former councilwoman Karen Sharp; innkeeper and downtown developer Denny LeVett and his construction partner, Chris Tescher; community activities and cultural commission members Donna Jett, Kristy Downing and Judy Refuerzo; forest and beach commissioner Karen Ferlito; historic resources board member Elinor Laiolo; former Nielsen Bros. Market owner Merv Sutton; longtime residents Marian Leidig, Jean White (Ken White’s wife), Sarah Berling (Sue McCloud’s sister), Sharyn Siebert, Lillian Hazdovac and David Banks, and Dallas’ wife, Madeleine.

The other council candidates who have retrieved nomination forms from city hall, but have yet to return them with signatures, are incumbents Carrie Theis and Steve Hillyard, and Mail Mart owner Lucas Austin. If either incumbent does not return the paperwork by Jan. 10, the nomination period will be extended to Jan. 15 in case other candidates decide to step forward.

In the mayor’s race, so far, only incumbent Mayor Jason Burnett has pulled papers to run, and he has not yet turned them in. If no one decides to challenge him, he will be reelected by default — a rare, if not unique, occurrence in the history of the city since the mayor became an elected position with the voters’ selection of Barney Laiolo in 1968. (Prior to that year, the mayor was selected by the city council from among its members.)

Write-in candidates can file between Feb. 10 and March 25.