The Gastonia City Council is set to vote Tuesday on an ordinance that would allow the city’s mayor to serve a four-year term.
The mayor of Gastonia currently serves a two-year term, while council members are elected to staggered, four-year terms. The mayoral term was reduced from four to two years in 2014 by a previous council.
Last month, a 4-3 majority on the current council voted in favor of returning the mayor’s term to four years. One of the “yes” votes came from Gastonia mayor, Walker Reid. Reid was a longtime city council member and was elected to serve as mayor last year.
If passed, the ordinance would amend the city charter to establish a four-year mayoral term, beginning with the November 2019 election. Gastonia residents then would have 30 days to petition the city for a voter referendum on the amendment.
In Charlotte, a city council committee also wants to let voters decide whether Charlotte City Council members should serve four-year instead of two-year terms.
The council meeting begins Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Gaston County Courthouse.