Peachtree City Councilman Mike King wants to shift city elections to even-numbered years, and is asking the council to lobby the Georgia General Assembly to change the law. King also wants the council to make the choice between lengthening or shortening the terms of those to be affected by the shift.
Post 2’s King and Post 1’s Eric Imker would be the members most immediately affected by any such change. Both posts are up for election Nov. 3 this year by city voters.
King is serving the final year of a truncated term brought about by Post 2 Councilman George Dienhart’s resignation to make an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2013. King was elected without a runoff in a three-candidate race 14 months ago.
Imker is in his sixth year on the council. His term ends Dec. 31 this year.
King in his proposal to the council for the Feb. 19 meeting said he has wanted the election change as a priority item for two years running.
“During this year’s retreat, it was determined that the timing was correct, and that each of us agreed that the proposal has merit, and that we should proceed,” King wrote.
“The proposal asks that the current elections for both mayor and council seat be moved to even number years so as to coincide with both state and national level elections, eliminating the need to conduct annual elections when consolidation would offer substantial revenue savings for the city,” King wrote. That switch would save the city about $70,000, King wrote.
“I would also recommend that that sitting council make the determination as to extend their term of service by a year or reduce the respective terms by a year. It is noted that in the approval by the state legislature this decision could be made at the state level,” King wrote.
If the legislature made the change this year, King and Imker — should either decide to run for reelection — might not have to face city voters this fall.
Without a change, the qualifying period for the two city posts opens Aug. 31 and ends Sept. 4.
