Should York County Council members serve 4-year terms?

York County Council members want to double the length of their terms to four years – but they want county voters to sign off on the move before it becomes law.

The County Council this week gave its second of three needed approvals to place the proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The proposal passed 4-2, with council members Christi Cox and Bruce Henderson voting no and Chad Williams absent. Last week, the proposal passed on an initial 6-1 vote, with Cox dissenting.

Henderson – who is not seeking re-election this year – said his vote against the proposal this week was due to reservations “over the fact that there are not term limits” for County Council members.

However, the term limits Henderson wants can’t be imposed by the County Council. Only the Legislature can make such changes, other council members said.

York County is one of only two of South Carolina’s 46 counties in which County Council members serve two-year terms rather then four-year terms – and it soon could be the only one. Anderson County voters will decide in November whether to move to four-year terms there.

If voters approve, York County Council members would begin serving staggered four-year terms. Half plus one of the council members who receive the highest vote in the next election would serve four-year terms. Those remaining would serve two years and then all members would serve four years after that.

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Should York County Council members serve 4-year terms?."