Ann Arbor voters approved a ballot measure to increase terms for mayor and city council to four years (Proposal 1). The ballot proposal will have the mayor and five city council seats elected in even-numbered years coinciding with Michigan gubernatorial elections and the other five city council seats will be elected in even-numbered years coinciding with presidential elections.

Previously, half of the city council was elected on odd-numbered years.

The proposal will begin with 2018 elections and city council members elected in 2017 will serve a three-year term.

This November, voters will decide whether term limits for the mayor and City Council members should be increased from two to four years.

Election cycles would remain staggered, but the proposed amendment to the city charter would eliminate elections in odd years, which have typically had low turnout.

Opponents of the amendment argue longer terms will decease officials’ accountability to voters, while those in favor hope for higher city election participation as a result of the new terms.

Photo of downtown Ann Arbor by Andrew Horne on Wikimedia Commons.

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