Warren officials are considering moving the city's 2015 municipal election back one year. This might sound shady at first because the move would effectively extend their terms in office 12 months. However, proponents of the reform say merging the city's election cycle with state and national elections could save Warren money and increase participation in the local contests.
State law allows municipalities to adjust their election cycles but prevents them from shortening political terms to do so. That's why Warren's elected officials would get an extra year on the job, if they go through with this plan.
Mayor Jim Fouts is officially neutral on the issue and provides a surprisingly nuanced analysis of the measure's pros and cons.
Macomb Daily: [Fouts] said even-year elections for Warren offices would create a more democratic process if the higher voter turnout for presidential and state races trickled down to city candidates. Potential cost savings must be weighed against possible negatives, he said.
But the mayor cautioned that electors could suffer from “ballot fatigue” due to a longer ballot. He suspects the messages from local candidates would be drowned out by the campaign ads from national and statewide races.
Warren City Council could vote on the idea at tonight's Council meeting.
