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Council discusses extending mayoral term to four years, agrees to move charter steps forward
Summary
Council reviewed public comments on proposed charter amendments, discussed a proposal to extend the mayor’s term to four years (citing continuity and the learning curve), and agreed to proceed with steps to place amendments on the ballot.
Council members reviewed public comments on the draft charter amendments and discussed a proposal to extend the mayor’s term from two to four years. Staff said the city received two public comments during the April comment period—Nancy Lanyon (grammatical and drafting suggestions) and Bill Pendleton (who asked why the mayor’s term should be extended). The council engaged with the rationale, emphasizing continuity and the time it takes to learn the role.
“If you give the four years to the mayor it allows them to get up to speed…and then they’ve got two years to be mayor and move the city forward before they then have to start thinking about reelection,” one council member said. Staff explained timing: mayoral elections in 2026 and 2028 will proceed under the current two-year cycle; if the charter amendment passes it will take effect later (staff indicated a February effective date), so the change would not immediately alter those upcoming terms.
A meeting participant raised a concern about non-U.S. citizen officeholders after citing a news report; councilors and staff responded that local eligibility requires a person be a registered voter for one year (which in Oregon requires citizenship) and that the city verifies voter registration. The council agreed to move the charter amendment packet forward for placement on the November ballot subject to the necessary procedural steps and any explanatory materials the council wants to fund in local media.
