At its July 23 meeting, Montgomery City Council informally agreed on sending a proposal to voters this November to extend the terms for the mayor and council members from two to four years.

In a nutshell

The change aims to reduce the frequentness of elections and associated costs, which have been rising, said James Greene, city secretary and director of administrative services, at the meeting.

Montgomery holds annual elections, but the proposed change would shift elections to every other year, resulting in cost savings, according to the July 23 agenda packet.

The details

If approved by voters, the term extension change would not affect the terms of the officials in office. The change would go into effect for the council members elected into office after the May 2025 election.

City staff recommended the four-year term extension and placing it on the May 2025 ballot to allow more time for public education on the proposal.

However, council members said they believe placing the proposal on this November's ballot would likely result in higher voter turnout because of the presidential election.

Placing the proposal on the November ballot requires immediate action to meet election deadlines, Greene said.

Quote of note

During the July 23 meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Casey Olson said he favored the November ballot to leverage the higher voter turnout.

“I think we'd get a better turnout in November because that's kind of what I'm looking for,” Olson said. “I don't want any, ‘Oh, I didn't know; I would've never voted for it.’”

What’s next

Council is anticipated to vote to include the term extension proposal on the November ballot at its next regular council meeting on Aug. 13.