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COG presents Surf City charter rewrite; council weighs shifting elections to even years
Summary
Cape Fear Council of Governments reviewed a consolidated draft charter for Surf City and flagged a possible move of municipal elections from odd to even years to cut costs and raise turnout; council members asked staff to prepare a resolution and to gather community input before deciding.
Daniel Adams and Danny Nicholl of the Cape Fear Council of Governments presented a proposed clean, reorganized draft of Surf City’s charter and recommended a limited set of modernizations to align the document with the town’s council-manager form of government.
Adams told the council the charter is both a statutory instrument enacted by the state and a practical road map for municipal powers and procedures. “It’s a legal document enacted by the state legislature that establishes the town,” Adams said, adding that some updates will require a local act of the General Assembly while others can be adopted by ordinance under North Carolina law.
Why it matters: the draft clarifies duties of the mayor, the council and the town manager; streamlines the charter’s organization; and updates election-process language, including how council seats are staggered.
One policy issue the consultants raised for council consideration was whether to move municipal elections from odd years to even years. The COG noted two frequently cited benefits: potential cost savings (by piggybacking on county-run even-year elections) and higher voter turnout. “It’s about $11,000,” a council member said when staff cited the approximate per-election cost currently borne by the town.
Council response and next steps: several members said they were open to further study but not ready to act immediately. Council members asked staff to prepare a resolution and to seek their legislative delegation’s assistance if the council decides to pursue a local act. The COG said it would work with staff to refine draft language and return a clean version for council consideration. Councilors also asked that the town solicit public input before making a final choice on election timing.
What didn’t happen: the council did not adopt any charter amendments at the work session. Staff said the next step—if council wishes to move forward—would be a council-approved resolution and coordination with state legislators to secure a local act where required.
What’s next: staff will prepare a resolution and a clean draft for future review; council signaled interest in broader community outreach before any final decision on election timing.
