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Dardenne Prairie aldermen decline move to extend terms to four years
Summary
After public concern that longer terms would lock in poor representation, the Dardenne Prairie Board of Aldermen declined to advance a proposed change from two- to four-year aldermanic terms and dropped the item from consideration.
A proposal to change aldermen terms from two years to four years failed to advance after board members and residents voiced opposition.
Speaker 2 said they had introduced the idea earlier but withdrew it after speaking with constituents who worried "if they ever got a bad alderman in, they'd be stuck with them for 4 years instead of 2." Several board members, including Speaker 4, said while longer terms would reduce campaign frequency, two-year terms give voters more timely control over who represents them.
The mayor (Speaker 7) asked for a show of hands; Speaker 3 reported there was no majority in favor and the board moved on without a formal motion to change the charter. The discussion ended with board members emphasizing resident feedback as the primary reason for not pursuing the amendment.
Board members did not set a follow-up or staff assignment on the question; the item was effectively shelved for now.
