A change in the city charter means one Texarkana, Texas, City Council member to be sworn in Monday will serve an extra year in office.
Texas-side voters elected Tuesday to extend council members' and the mayor's terms of office from two years to three. To transition to the longer terms while keeping elections evenly staggered, one member taking office this year and two elected in 2018-chosen at random-will serve four-year terms.
As a result there will be three council elections in 2018, none in 2019 and two a year beginning in 2020.
A random drawing at the council's Nov. 27 meeting will determine whether Mary Hart, Betty Williams or Bill Harp will serve a four-year term beginning this year.
All three ran unopposed and will take office during Monday's regular council meeting. Hart will succeed Willie Ray in Ward 2, and Harp will take over for Christy Paddock in Ward 5. Williams will retain the Ward 3 seat to which she was appointed in January, after the resignation of Tina Veal-Gooch.
The change to longer terms was meant to decrease turnover and increase stability on the council, City Attorney Jeffery Lewis said.
In 2014, voters rejected a charter amendment that would have established four-year terms of office for the mayor and council.
The charter amendment approved Tuesday also changed what the council may do to fill a vacancy.
If there is a vacancy in council membership and the time remaining in the unexpired term exceeds a year, the council must call a special election to fill the vacancy. If the time is less than a year, the council may fill it by majority-vote appointment, call a special election or defer, leaving the seat vacant until the next regular election.
Monday's council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.
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