At the recent City Council meeting, Sebastian Mayor Ed Dodd proposed extending the term lengths for City Council members from two to four years.
Dodd explained to Sebastian Daily that financially, the city spent around $70,000 on the 2023 election, significantly more than the projected $19,570 for the 2024 election. He emphasized that costs for off-year elections are escalating, questioning the practicality of Sebastian incurring such expenses.
However, changing term durations is not straightforward. It requires a comprehensive process, including public workshops and ultimately placing the issue on a ballot for voter decision.
The process, as outlined by Dodd, involves the following:
- As part of an official agenda, the Council discusses the change to the Charter. They have three options as follows:
- Vote not to move the proposed change forward.
- Vote to direct the City Attorney to draft the language for the change and schedule its first public hearing.
- Vote to schedule a public discussion before the City Attorney drafting language.
- If it’s decided to move forward, there will be Council discussions and workshops to discuss the change with the public.
- The Council will then approve and transmit the final language to the Supervisor of Elections, which needs to be done by early August 2024.
- Voters will vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ for the change during the 2024 election.
The decision to implement the change rests entirely in the hands of the voters, as they will need to give their approval in the 2024 election.
“From the perspective of new Council members. It takes at least a year for a new member of the Council to get prepared so they can fully contribute to the Council’s decisions. We were lucky with the last three new members because they were quick studies,” Dodd said.
Additionally, there is potential legislative action at the state level, with a proposed bill to introduce term limits for County Governments, and discussions are underway about extending this to Municipal governments. Should this legislation pass, it could necessitate a revision of the city’s Charter to comply with the new state law.
Given these considerations, Mayor Dodd believes that transitioning to a 4-year term would benefit the City of Sebastian more.
Local citizens have mixed feelings about the proposed change. While many believe that a 4-year term is beneficial, they express concern about the possibility of being unable to replace officials if needed.
In 2020, Damien Gilliams, Pamela Parris, and Charles Mauti were recalled in Sebastian due to their criminal activities while holding public office. This incident highlights the risks associated with a full term, as the process of their removal was lengthy and complex.
Regarding the additional $70,000 required for off-year elections, opinions among citizens say this amount is relatively insignificant compared to the city’s other expenditures.
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