KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council voted to change the city’s enabling legislation so council elections can be held at the same time as the county’s elections.
The vote was to make the terms of the next council elected to be three years. After that, terms would revert to two years unless that council takes other action.
Councilman Mike Lipscomb proposed the compromise, after weeks of discussion on combining elections to save money — more than $5,000 per election, by the mayor’s estimate.
“And then if the people after that want to change it, they can put it on the next ballot,” Lipscomb said.
Not all council members agreed with changing terms from two years to four, during earlier discussions.
“I think four years is too long for a council term, but if it does go four years, I think it needs
to be staggered,” Councilman Josh Fields said.
City attorney Sheila Williams told council it must modify the city’s legislative enactment to change term limits. The enactment is similar to charters other cities have.
No one came to speak at an earlier public hearing on changing term lengths.
Recorder Bill Robertson asked if all options — term lengths, staggering terms, voting with the county — could be put on the ballot for voters
to decide.
“Obviously, when we solicited for people to come in and comment, we had no one, so maybe they don’t give a darn until we make a mistake,” Robertson said. “We keep on beating this same horse, and I want to get moving.”
City Clerk Mary Howell quoted Morgantown City Manager Paul Brake’s comment in The Dominion Post on March 14 that the more complex a choice is, the less likely it is to pass.
Also at the meeting Tuesday, council:
- Amended the employee policy to allow family members to work for the same department, as long as one does not supervise the other. Sewer Board Chairman Randy Plum said the board has an outstanding applicant for the system manager but his brother is a city employee. The State Ethics Commission advised it could be done, with certain restrictions.
- Approved this quarter’s $2,500 donation to Main Street Kingwood. Only Robertson voted against it, saying he supports MSK but wants more accountability. Fields said it was understood that in the coming fiscal year council wants to see invoices, a bud get or other documentation
