BEAUFORT - A recent change to the town of Beaufort's charter was passed earlier this month, extending the mayor's term from two to four years.
The unanimous decision was approved by the Beaufort Board of Commissioners during a regular public meeting held Feb. 13 at the Train Depot.
The extension was made in response to Beaufort's historical lack of continuity in leadership due to the short two-year term, according to town officials.
"There is a bit of disconnect in the terms of office as each commissioner is elected for four years and the mayor is elected for two years," town attorney Arey Grady said during the Feb. 13 meeting. "It's a pretty straightforward amendment. The language is not terribly convoluted or difficult."
Citizens have until March 15 to file a petition against the motion, which would push the matter to a public vote during the next general election.
If no petition is filed, the town will update its municipal codes and send them to the legislative library in Raleigh to update the charter. The amendment will take effect during the next mayoral election.
The changes adopted Feb. 13 come after several months of discussions between commissioners and town staff.
The process began Dec. 12, 2022 when the board unanimously voted to adopt a resolution of intent to amend the charter.
A public hearing held Jan. 9 saw no comments from commissioners or members of the public.
The town's charter has undergone around two dozen amendments since its inception in 1914.
(3) comments
Just an election without actually having to have one .
There absolutely was an election- to elect the commissioners who made the motion. And citizens can still file a petition against it.
And, most importantly, it doesn't affect the current mayor, but the winner of the next election. So I really don't understand your comment.
Missed that part and it makes sense . Sorry ! Must admit that making sense is a rare thing in politics these days . Good luck .
Welcome to the discussion.
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