Westfield – The final item on the agenda at the City Council meeting on Thursday was a motion by Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy to place a nonbinding question on the City Election ballot on November 7, to read: “Shall the City of Westfield extend the term of Mayor from 2 years to 4 years.”
“This is the outcome of numerous L&O (Legislative & Ordinance) meetings over 18 months,” Figy said. He said there was a general consensus to move the term of mayor from two to four years, which he called “not a bad idea.” He also said the general feeling was to see what the citizens of Westfield want to do.
At large Councilor Dan Allie, who wrote a letter in opposition to the question which recently appeared in The Westfield News, asked Figy what the purpose was of having the City Council vote on the referendum, when he could as an individual put it on the ballot.
“This sets up a whole chain of events which will affect the calender and off-year elections. Why does the City Council have to vote on this,” Allie asked.
Figy said that the term extension would be a charter change.
“This is one of the ways we can put something on the ballot. I’m in favor of hearing what the public has to say about it. Citizens have the right to have a say,” said At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty. Flaherty also said he wasn’t sure how he would personally vote on the question.
Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski, a member of L&O, said there was a resounding wave not to do a home-rule petition for the change. “At least this should go on the ballot for us to decide,” he said.
Allie said he agreed the people should have a say, but that nobody had given a good reason for the change. He said the city wouldn’t have ended up with the government it has now without the current system.
The question was moved, and the vote was 12 to 1 to put the non-binding question on the ballot. Allie was the lone no vote.
Figy previously stated if the ballot question were to win a majority, it would mostly likely go through a home rule petition to change the city’s charter. The change in term length wouldn’t go into effect until the 2019 election.
