City Voters to Decide on Four Year Terms

In addition to choosing candidates in the Tuesday, April 5 municipal election, voters will also be asked to choose how long officials should stay in office.

If approved, the change would impact the 2012 election cycle.

The Wentzville Board of Aldermen voted in January to ask voters for longer terms in office. The measure passed with a vote of 6-0. 

The ordinance asks voters on the April ballot if the terms of mayor and aldermen should be lengthened from two years to four year terms.

Elections would be staggered, so that the entire board would not be up for election in the same cycle.

The board began discussing the issue at a retreat and then again at a work session in December. Alderwoman Cheryl Kross, Ward 1, said the longer terms would give the city more experienced aldermen.

"With two-year terms, you get in and you learn about how the city works and then you are running for reelection again," she said. 

The December discussion also noted the number of multiyear projects the city has in its long-range plans. Rick Stokes, Ward 3, said he could support moving alderman's terms to four years from the current two and the mayor's term from two years to three.

Mayor Paul Lambi argued that the mayor's term should be four years. 

"Four years for a new alderman can be a large commitment," he said. "Two year terms are enough."

Alderwoman Peggy Meyer, Ward 2, said that voters could decide if they love or hate their elected official within a two-year term.

"They'll let us know if they want to keep us in or boot us out," she said. "If the board and mayor are working well together, things can be wonderful. If they don't there can be a lot of damage done in four years."

The cost savings of holder fewer elections would be roughly $15,000 per election.

The board also noted that surrounding cities have longer terms. Below are the current term lengths of officials in Wentzville and surrounding cities.