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Aldermen send primary‑date change to committee; motion to extend mayor/at‑large terms fails
Summary
The board voted to refer a proposal to move the municipal primary from September to June to the administration committee; a separate motion to begin the process of switching the mayor and at‑large alderman terms to four years failed for lack of a second.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to refer consideration of moving the municipal primary from September to June to the Committee on Administration for draft charter language and further review. The change would align the city primary with a state proposal to shift primaries to June; the administration committee will draft language and consult with the city clerk and Solicitor before any ballot question.
Separately, Alderman Long moved to begin the process to put four‑year terms for the mayor and at‑large aldermen on the ballot; that motion failed after no second was recorded. Board members debated both proposals: proponents argued longer terms provide stability and allow leaders to pursue longer projects without election‑year disruption; opponents said two‑year terms preserve accountability and voter responsiveness.
City staff noted timing constraints: the board has until early June to place a charter amendment on the municipal ballot, and implementation timing may depend on state action moving the primary date. Alderman Long’s motion asked the clerk to start the AG/Secretary of State review and the process to bring a question to voters, but because no second was made the board took no action to initiate a charter amendment on term length.
Ending: The board referred the primary‑date question to committee for language development; no change to term lengths will proceed from this meeting.
