The Raleigh City Council is moving to 4-year, staggered terms starting in 2026

The Raleigh City Council will move to four-year terms and staggered elections starting in 2026, the council decided in a vote this week.

Why it matters: The council had debated this potential move for years. One of the biggest reasons for switching from two-year terms to four: A desire for more continuity in city government.

What they're saying: " I think in terms of the governance complexities of managing a city of 500,000 people, it's really important to have some continuity," Raleigh council member Jane Harrison said before the vote.

• "When we look at ordinances that have to go from city council authorization to drafting to review by the planning commission to adoption ... the process that anything takes is a long period of time," she added.

Driving the news: The council had considered putting the change up to a ballot referendum in the fall, but decided to forego a referendum during its Tuesday vote.

• The decision to move to four-year terms passed 5-2, with members Mary Black and Megan Patton voting against it only because they preferred it go to a referendum.
• Members also declined to vote on adding three more seats to the City Council.

Zoom out: Many cities throughout the state give their councilmembers four-year, staggered terms, including Durham — though its mayor still only serves two-year terms.

What's next: The decision could still end up as a referendum on 2024 ballots if Raleigh residents collect 5,000 signatures within 30 days of the change.

• A survey of Raleigh residents last year found that 40% supported four-year terms, while 50% did not.

The four-year terms would start in 2026, with elections then staggered by two groups of council seats.

• Group 1 — which would include the mayor, the at-large seat receiving the most votes, and districts A and B — would begin four-year terms in 2026.
• Group 2 — the at-large seat with the second-most votes and districts C, D and E — would begin a two-year term in 2026 and then run again in 2028.