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Bill to modify Sylva elections passes HouseBy Carey Phillips |
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A bill to make elections for Sylva's mayor and board of commissioners non-partisan and to create staggered terms has cleared the N.C. House Local Government Committee.
Introduced by Rep. Phil Haire, the bill now goes to the full House. Sylva officials requested the moves after they were among several recommendations made by a firm that studies municipal governments. If approved by the House and Senate, town elections would switch from partisan to non-partisan in 2001. All five board members would be elected in 2001 with the top two vote-getters serving four-year terms. The other three winners would serve for two years and be up for election to four-year terms in 2003. The bills calls for the mayor to continue to be elected to four-year terms. No runoff provision is included in the bill, meaning the top vote-getters would be the winners regardless of what percentage of the vote they receive. "The staggered terms are to ensure continuity as opposed to having all your guys voted out at once," town Clerk Tommy Thompson said. "We are one of the last towns left our size with partisan elections. There's never really been any partisan issues here." Jackson County's other municipalities - Dillsboro, Webster and Forest Hills - all have non-partisan elections. |
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