UPDATE: See the February 10th statement from the League of Women Voters below.
At the January 9 Board of Trustees Work Session, the Board voted to proceed with the initiative to extend their terms in office from two years to four. On a motion by Trustee Lou Young, the Board voted 4-1 to schedule a Public Hearing on Proposed Local Law K. The Board will schedule a date for a public hearing at the next Board meeting on January 23rd.
This initiative began as a school project with students from Mamaroneck High School’s Original Civic Research Program. Their research showed that voter participation is higher in years with Federal elections and proposed that Village elections be synchronized with those even year elections.
If enacted, the terms would change with the upcoming 2023 election for Mayor and one Trustee. Whoever is elected would have a single three-year term to bring them to 2026 and four-year terms thereafter. The 2024 elections for three Trustees would be for four-year terms, extending them to 2028.
Trustee Young stated that the League of Women Voters was in favor of this change.
UPDATE 2/10/23: Statement from the local League of Women Voters:
"Your January 10th 2023 article about the proposal to change the term of office for Village of Mamaroneck Board Members from two years to four years includes the statement, "Trustee Young stated that the League of Women Voters was in favor of this change." In fact, the League of Women Voters has not taken a position on the merits of extending the term of office, and any statement that the League has either supported or opposed the proposal is not correct."
Alice Pernick and Peggy Jackson
Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters of Larchmont/Mamaroneck
He also stated that he ran his recent campaign on this issue and that this change is “very popular.” Both Mayor Murphy and Trustee Young asserted that the voters are confused with so many elections and it is hard to get things done since members of the Board are always thinking about the next election. Trustee Lucas pointed out that there will still be elections in the odd years (County and Town) – just not Village elections.
The proposed local law would be subject to a permissive referendum. A permissive referendum is different from the referenda that typically appear on November ballots. A permissive referendum is driven by the voters. Once the Board of Trustees adopts the local law, anyone wishing to have the voters decide the matter must organize a petition drive, collect at least 335 signatures of registered Village voters, and present the completed petition to the Board of Trustees within 30 days of the law’s adoption. The Village would then have 60 days to call for a referendum for voters to decide whether to extend the terms of their local elected officials.
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