mayoral-term_presentationLENGTH OF ATLANTIC BEACH
MAYORAL TERM
2.11.2019 | Presented by Brittany Norris
CURRENT SETUP:
ARTICLE II. - THE COMMISSION
The mayor-commissioner shall be elected for two-year terms and the terms for
seats 2 through 5 shall each be four years. Effective with the municipal election in
October, 1993, anyone elected or appointed to the office of mayor-commissioner
shall not serve more than four (4) consecutive two-year terms;
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ACROSS THE NATION:
According to a 2006 survey of municipal governments by International City/County
Management Association (ICMA), the most common mayoral term length is four years.
Length Of Term Percentage Reporting
1 year 14%
2 years 35%
3 years 6%
4 years 45%
Other 1%
1. Mayor's Term, National League of Cities. https://www.nlc.org/mayors-term
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TWO-YEAR TERMS
DISADVANTAGES:
‣Learning curve for newly elected officials - Time is lost for mayors to learn the ropes
‣First year spent being mayor and second year spent on getting re-elected
‣Perceived instability - With a mayor running every two years there’s potential for
policies to change if a challenger doesn’t share the same vision.
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TWO-YEAR TERMS
ADVANTAGES:
‣Keeps power with the people?
‣More opportunities to choose different competing visions of the city
‣Upside for voters as they get to directly elect the mayor AND a majority of seats
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FOUR-YEAR TERMS
DISADVANTAGES:
‣Stuck with bad mayors for a long amount of time -But if leadership is bad enough,
there's always the option of a recall (following procedures of F.S. 100.361)
‣Longer term would reduce accountability to voters
‣Could increase the barriers candidates face when challenging incumbents.
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FOUR-YEAR TERMS
ADVANTAGES:
‣Bad mayors might prove to be otherwise
‣Four-year term is touted by groups like the National Civic League – A nonpartisan nonprofit
organization founded by municipal reformers over a century ago to fight the ills associated with
urban political machines.
‣Could provide more stability for constituents - Less crazy campaign seasons for citizens, more
time to get to know the mayor
‣Could also provide stability for officials - Less time lost when campaign season begins
(primarily for incumbents)
‣Increase in potential advocacy and lobbying - Longer terms could ensure continuity in
conversations with county and state governments, federal agencies, etc
‣More time for challengers to build their case with voters
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NEXT STEPS:
Consider placing a four-year mayoral term on the ballot that includes change in
term limits to match current set up for commission seats 2 - 5.
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