The potential for changing municipal elections in Peachtree City to even-numbered years crossed the first hurdle at the July 16 City Council meeting. Next up, the measure will have to be cleared by the General Assembly next year and later by voters in a referendum.
As adopted by a 4-1 vote with Mayor Vanessa Fleisch opposed, the resolution would have the terms of Post 1 Councilman Eric Imker and Post 2 Councilman Mike King shortened to three years beginning in 2016. The election for those seats would be held, as prescribed, in November, and the winner of those seats would take office in January.
The next step in changing the city charter is to have the local legislative delegation submit the request to the General Assembly for approval in the 2016 term. Assuming it passes, the issue would be the subject of a public referendum in November 2016. If successful, the terms of the two elected to the council for Post 1 and 2 would be shortened from four years to three years and would expire in 2018.
Candidates running for the Post 1 and 2 seats later this year would be aware of the potential that their terms might be shortened by one year.
City attorney Ted Meeker in a July 13 letter said that, at Imker’s request, the language was revised with respect to the term limits and the ability of one to serve for consecutive terms of three and four years as well as two consecutive terms of four years.
The idea of having city election changed to even-numbered years was initiated by King earlier this year.
King in February said he surfaced the idea during his election campaign, adding that moving city elections to even-numbered years would enhance voter turnout since a higher percentage of voters go to the polls for state and national elections.
King in a previous meeting said voter turnout on even-numbered years ran 60-80 percent while turnout in municipal elections held during odd-numbered years ran approximately 19-22 percent.
