Great article but I’m left with some questions. So what might those staggered terms look like? Do we elect 2 or more council members every year? Every two years? How often do we elect the mayor? How do we decide who is the vice mayor? Does that change after every election?
Thank you for reading About Alexandria, and for your comment.
As your comment suggests, there are endless variations on how staggered terms can work and how to transition from a system as is currently in place to staggered terms. The best summary of the possibilities that I know of is a memorandum from a February 9, 2023 School Board work session.
The Board spent a considerable amount of time investigating staggered terms, but it the outgoing City Council was not interested in the topic. If you will give me an email address, I will be glad to send you the memorandum.
Our city is faced with a couple of generational cost issues that could be mitigated if our city had ANY desire to sponsor diversity of thought at a local or regional level.
You make some foundational points about this election, but to focus on local, we need money and the 2025-26 forecast will continue to increase taxes to pay for services and functions that are poorly managed or reported.
Staggered terms would suggest a few things:
1. The mayoral term needs to be longer
2. Keep 3 for six and run the other 3. This is the real conundrum. My 2¢, think outside the box. 32 precincts. If you assign each councilor 4 precincts, then you have 8 councilors. Wards can be staggered every 4 years. I would also advocate that these major elections should be on the “off” years of a Presidential election.
I’m happy to provide more ideas that help our community. I tried to discuss these and the significance of economic development in a Presidential election but my efforts were in vain.
Great article but I’m left with some questions. So what might those staggered terms look like? Do we elect 2 or more council members every year? Every two years? How often do we elect the mayor? How do we decide who is the vice mayor? Does that change after every election?
Dear Renewable:
Thank you for reading About Alexandria, and for your comment.
As your comment suggests, there are endless variations on how staggered terms can work and how to transition from a system as is currently in place to staggered terms. The best summary of the possibilities that I know of is a memorandum from a February 9, 2023 School Board work session.
The Board spent a considerable amount of time investigating staggered terms, but it the outgoing City Council was not interested in the topic. If you will give me an email address, I will be glad to send you the memorandum.
All best.
Our city is faced with a couple of generational cost issues that could be mitigated if our city had ANY desire to sponsor diversity of thought at a local or regional level.
You make some foundational points about this election, but to focus on local, we need money and the 2025-26 forecast will continue to increase taxes to pay for services and functions that are poorly managed or reported.
Staggered terms would suggest a few things:
1. The mayoral term needs to be longer
2. Keep 3 for six and run the other 3. This is the real conundrum. My 2¢, think outside the box. 32 precincts. If you assign each councilor 4 precincts, then you have 8 councilors. Wards can be staggered every 4 years. I would also advocate that these major elections should be on the “off” years of a Presidential election.
I’m happy to provide more ideas that help our community. I tried to discuss these and the significance of economic development in a Presidential election but my efforts were in vain.
Nice synthesis and good ideas for trying to keep going forward.