By Jessica Coates
jessica.coates@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — During the 2017 Salisbury City Council election, several candidates — including now-Mayor Pro Tem David Post — said that city council election procedures should change.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Post may get a chance to start a committee that could bring about those changes.

Post said in an interview that committee would likely talk about whether the city should have a separate mayoral election, whether it should have more councilmembers and whether it should have a ward system, among other things.

“There’s a number of issues to be discussed,” Post said.

Post said that he would also want to set up a public hearing so that citizens could give their opinions on what — and whether — changes should be made.

Another committee that Post had been involved with in his previous term, called the Special Event committee, could also be reestablished at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Special Event committee, which was headed by Post and Councilman Brian Miller, spent nearly 10 months last year meeting with community members in an attempt to update the city’s nearly 40-year-old special event permit ordinance.

But, at its Oct. 3 meeting, the Council voted 3-2 to table to ordinance update because it did not make changes to the portion of the ordinance that deals with freedom of speech events.

Miller pointed out at the Oct. 3 meeting that the committee had not been asked to deal with the freedom of speech portions, just the special community event portions.

Now, nearly three months later, the committee could get the chance to meet again and decide how to update the freedom of speech portions.

Other items on the agenda include:

• Council will receive a request to name Fire Station 6 the Justin Monroe and Vic Isler Salisbury Fire Station.

Monroe and Isler were firefighters who died while fighting the Salisbury Millwork Factory fire on March 7, 2008.

Fire Station 6 will be the first fire department facility to be constructed since their deaths.

• Council will receive an update on the Empire Hotel project.

City and Downtown Salisbury Inc. staff will make the presentation with Empire Hotel developer Black Point Investments.

The presentation will include responses to questions submitted during the October open house event, a general update on progress to date and an outline of a plan that will help maintain communication about the project’s progress with both Council and the public.

• Council will receive an update from Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes.

Stokes’ update will include recent staffing numbers and crime statistics.

• Council will receive an update on potential changes to council meeting procedures.

The Council currently follows Robert’s Rules of Order.

• Council will consider issuing four retired officers their sidearms and badges.

The four that will be recognized are Sheila Lingle, Jeffrey Wilkerson, Annice Chunn and Bradford Jordan.

The City Council will meet Tuesday at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 217 S. Main St.

Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.