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Council debates moving town elections to fall; counsel flags legal limits on extending current terms
Summary
Councilmember Wade proposed moving municipal elections from May to the fall to align budget timing and allow newly elected officials to participate in budgeting. Legal counsel warned changing the date could extend current terms and may be legally problematic; staff and election supervisors offered alternatives such as later swearing-in or a referendum.
Councilmember Wade opened a conversation about whether Cheverly should move its municipal elections from May into the fall so newly elected officials would have more opportunity to influence the budget process. Wade said that as a recently elected councilmember he had to vote on a budget with limited input and suggested that aligning the election calendar with the budget cycle could give future members better opportunity to imprint policy.
Legal counsel responded that moving an upcoming election date could effectively extend current terms and that doing so for the next scheduled election may be legally impermissible. "I don't think that's legal," counsel said in describing a scenario that would lengthen the terms of current officeholders. Board of Elections Chair Robin Kaye and other staff suggested alternatives: postpone the effective start date of a new term (delayed swearing-in), hold an advisory referendum, or otherwise adjust local procedures rather than unilaterally extending current terms. Kaye said the board will discuss the idea and explore permutations such as moving when the term starts rather than the election itself.
Council members asked staff to consult the Board of Elections, research surrounding municipalities' practices (several neighboring towns hold elections in the fall), and return with options and legal analysis. No ordinance or formal motion was adopted; the item remains under study.
