Lynn Hotaling Casting votes in 2001 could be a brand new ballgame for Sylva residents. Sylva Town Board members voted March 2 to change the entire process of electing officers to allow for staggered terms and to eliminate party politics from town elections. Acting on a recommendation by municipal evaluator John Maxwell, Sylva's board decided to change the town election structure to give voters the opportunity to choose some members every other year. If the necessary local action motion is approved by North Carolina's Legislature, the new process will begin with the 2001 town elections.
State law stipulates that municipal elections are held during odd-numbered years.
Those seats will be up for election to four-year terms beginning in 2003. The move to staggered terms was recommended to provide continuity and history for the board and prevent a complete change in the board's composition. Though it hasn't happened in recent memory, the current system could have produced a totally new board after any election. Town leaders also voted to make Sylva's municipal elections non-partisan. This move was also recommended by Maxwell, who said non-partisan elections help voters focus on local issues and tend to minimize the influence of state and national politics in town elections.