Last week we discussed the Greensboro City Council’s first four-year term as it stands at the halfway point. Today we learn the Charlotte City Council is taking serious steps toward four-year terms:
While a few members think the council should take a vote to give themselves four-year terms, voters could later nullify that move with a referendum if they collected 5,000 signatures to put it on the ballot. A majority of council members believe they should go straight to voters for a November referendum on the issue, however.
On Monday, council members decided to vote on whether to start the referendum process at their meeting next week. And several said they’re ready to move on one way or another, after months of discussion at council and committee meetings.
One interesting aspect about the Charlotte council’s four-year term proposal: the terms would be staggered, “so that only a third or so of members would be up for reelection every cycle,” which would “prevent the large-scale turnover that’s possible now, with every seat up for a vote every two years.” It will be interesting to see how Charlotte voters react to this proposal.
