Faith passes resolutions announcing intent for electoral changes

FAITH — The members of the Faith Board of Aldermen have passed resolutions in consecutive meetings announcing their desire to change the aldermen’s terms to four years and to change their elections to even-numbered years.

The resolution does not change the terms or election dates yet, instead it announces the town’s intentions to do so. The town has three options to effect the change, including passing an ordinance amending the charter without a citizen referendum, passing an ordinance with a citizen referendum and asking a state legislator to pass a bill amending the town charter.

Town Attorney John Hudson advised the members of the board that asking for a state bill to be passed would likely be their simplest option, so the members of the board agreed that they would reach out to Representative Harry Warren to inquire about drafting a bill.

Town Clerk Karen Fink confirmed that if the term change and election date changes were passed as law before Faith’s next election cycle, in 2025, then the current board members would have their terms extended through 2026. The elected aldermen that year would then serve the town’s first four-year terms.

Mayor Pro Tem Dale Peeler did raise one concern with the change, saying that he hoped extended terms would not dissuade citizens from signing up to serve the town due to the extended commitment. However, Alderman Jayne Lingle pointed to fellow Alderman Gary Gardner, who has served on the board for almost 40 years, as evidence that residents would be willing to serve for longer periods of time.

The board members and town staff looked into extending the aldermen’s terms before the 2023 election cycle, but Fink advised them at the time that it was not possible for any changes to be effected before that election, so they decided to postpone any decisions until after the election.

“Two years, to a new person, doesn’t give you much time to learn within those two years. Four years, you’re informed and now you have settled in or whatever it is. It seems like two years comes so fast,” said Barger, during the prior discussion in July of 2023.

The post Faith passes resolutions announcing intent for electoral changes appeared first on Salisbury Post .