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Rising Sun board agrees to consider charter change to cancel uncontested elections to save about $5,000
Summary
The mayor proposed exploring a town-charter amendment that would allow cancelling uncontested municipal elections to save roughly $5,000; the town attorney and administrator said a charter change is required and staff will examine legal and vendor timing issues before the next meeting.
During new business the Mayor asked the board to consider a charter change to allow cancelling elections when contests are uncontested, estimating a savings of roughly $5,000 per election.
The Town Administrator advised that a charter amendment would be required to implement such a change. He said the board would need a mechanism (for example, a formal declaration at a meeting) to determine an uncontested election and that vendor scheduling or cancellation terms might require prepayment or other guarantees; in some vendor agreements a cancellation fee could apply. The administrator said he would consult the town attorney about the specific charter language and the board agreed to consider a resolution or charter-change item at a future meeting.
No formal vote or charter amendment was taken at this meeting; the board instructed staff to prepare options and legal language for a subsequent session. "I'll talk to the town attorney over what that would look like," the Town Administrator said.
Next steps: staff to draft potential charter language and provide counsel’s guidance on implementation and vendor contract implications for discussion at an upcoming meeting.
