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Charlotte Talks: Should Charlotte's City Council Move From Two-Year To Four-Year Terms?

DAVID BORAKS
/
WFAE

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Charlotte City Council is considering four-year terms, but a recent poll indicates Charlotteans are overwhelmingly opposed. We hear from two council members on opposite sides of this debate.

What do you think? Should city council move from two-year to four-year terms? Vote in WFAE's poll.

Charlotte's City Council is considering whether to extend the terms for council members from two years to four years. Voters could be asked to approve longer term lengths in a referendum next year.

But a recent pollindicates that Charlotteans overwhelmingly oppose the idea of extending the council's term length. When the Mecklenburg County Commission tried to do the same thing in 2015, voters rejected the idea.

Credit WFAE/Jennifer Worsham
Charlotte city council members Julie Eiselt and Ed Driggs in Charlotte Talks' Spirit Square studio.

Council members in favor of longer terms argue they aren't able to get much work done before having to turn around and run for re-election. Detractors argue longer terms could reduce accountability and make it harder for voters to oust ineffective members.

We talk with council members Julie Eiselt and Ed Driggs who are on opposite sides of this issue about what they see as the pluses and minuses of doubling the length of the council term.

Guests

Julie Eiselt, Mayor Pro Tem and Charlotte City Councilmember At-Large. She supports four-year terms.

Ed Driggs, Charlotte City Councilmember District 7 Representative. He does not support four-year terms.

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Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE's Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. She's a native Charlottean.