Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montreat commission considers flexible term limits for ETJ seat to avoid vacancies
Summary
Commission discussed allowing the board of commissioners to defer term-limit application for the extraterritorial‑jurisdiction (ETJ) member to avoid vacant seats, while retaining public posting and application processes; members favored limited, case-by-case flexibility rather than broad elimination of term limits.
The commission considered whether to allow the board of commissioners flexibility to defer or waive term limits for the town’s extraterritorial‑jurisdiction (ETJ) representative, a position commissioners said is harder to fill because the pool of eligible property owners is smaller.
Chair explained the current written practice imposes two-term limits for commission members; "the term limit is 2 terms," she said. Commissioners discussed options that would preserve public posting and application requirements while allowing the board to extend an ETJ member's service when no other candidate is available. Members favored a targeted change limited to the ETJ seat rather than removing term limits across the board.
Why it matters: The ETJ seat represents property owners outside municipal limits and can be critical for coordinating land-use decisions beyond town boundaries. Several commissioners stressed safeguards—advertising vacancies and reviewing incumbents—so extensions are not automatic and to limit litigation or perceptions of favoritism.
Next steps: Chair will contact the board of commissioners and the town attorney to explore a narrow rules change permitting the board to defer the application of term limits for ETJ members; any change will be posted and subject to the commission’s rule-change process.
