SALISBURY — Salisbury residents voted on Tuesday for the city council to have staggered four-year terms instead of the two-year non-staggered terms currently in the city’s charter. Council has debated and discussed that topic throughout the year, with multiple town hall meetings and hearings taking place to gauge the public’s opinion.

In the end, the referendum was approved with a vote of 1,781 to 872 according to the North Carolina Board of Elections website. The changes will not go into effect until the 2025 election, so all council members and Mayor Karen Alexander will continue with their current two-year terms until then. Beginning in 2025, the top two vote-getters for city council would receive four-year terms, the next two vote-getters would receive two-year terms, and afterward, everyone would receive four-year terms when they come back up for re-election.

Council member Anthony Smith has been vocal in his support for four-year staggered terms since it was first brought up. Citing a need for members of council to have more time to achieve their objectives, Smith is reassured that voters are allowing them that political asset.

“I’m glad that it passed and I’m glad a majority of our citizens who voted saw the wisdom in that. That they saw that with the growing population and with the economic growth, that we need political leaders, elected officials to have more time to work through the sophistication, some of the challenges that come with growth, and this just gives us more time to work through some of those things,” Smith said.

Smith also appreciates the fact that the terms are staggered and will still give residents an opportunity to vote every two years and alter leadership as they see fit.

On the other hand, David Post was the lone council member who did not want staggered four-year terms, believing it not to be necessary compared to how some larger governments operate in relation to Salisbury.

“Charlotte’s two years, so I guess we need four,” Post said.

Post further elaborated that people have a “tendency to vote yes” on ballots and that they may have chosen to proceed with two-year terms if the referendum was worded slightly different. However, he will accept what the public has decided with no pushback.