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When resident Steve Thompson spoke during the public comments portion of last Thursday night’s Lewisville Town Council meeting about “staggered terms,” he first stated his opposition.

“This town was founded 33-plus years ago,” said Thompson, who previously served on the council. “What has happened in the past has worked. I think it can continue to work. I just hope you leave it the way it is.”

However, the town is looking at the possibility of some major changes in the 2025 municipal election in lots of ways, but this meeting really was more about whether or not the mayor would get a two-year term or four-year term if the town goes to staggered terms.

“What had already been decided was that the citizens would have the opportunity to determine whether the council would have staggered terms,” Ken Sadler, a longtime council member, explained. “That’s already been decided. It was resolved in a 5-2 vote of the council. So the only thing that has to be resolved is whether the mayor gets a two-year term if we go to staggered terms or whether the mayor then would get a four-year term along with the council members who are elected.”

After a long debate with different viewpoints expressed by the council, it ultimately passed unanimously for the two-year option.

“We had a fair amount of discussion during our briefing (the previous week) about this matter,” Sadler said, adding that the length of the term was the one item that hadn’t been resolved. “What I mentioned at that time, I didn’t see any justification of having a four-year term for the mayor. The justification for going to staggered terms as originally presented was for continuity in the council with the possibility that everybody could be removed or replaced if we continue with two-year terms.

“I don’t want to minimize in any way what the mayor (Mike Horn) does. This mayor is very active and has been a great spokesman for the town. It’s not about that. It’s about the next mayor. You don’t know who that is going to be. And now that you’re going to have partisan elections, the whole thing could turn over next time. You don’t know who is going to be sitting in these seats next November.”

Sadler made the motion and council member Jane Welch, who has served eight terms on the council, seconded it.

“I don’t see any reason to change what we’ve had,” Welch said. “Four years is just too many.”

Council member Monte Long, who is new on the board, also expressed his preference for a two-year term for mayor, adding a concern on the possibility of voting along party lines.

Sadler provided more specifics on what could be a totally different election next fall.

“Elections are still every two years, but the primary potentially could have 14 people on Democratic side, 14 people on the Republican side and potential for people running unaffiliated,” he said. “So you could have any given number of people running. The normal election cycle could have as many as 14 people running for office.”

Horn, the longtime mayor who has stated he doesn’t plan to seek re-election, added this: “We’re going to undergo a giant upheaval this next election. I’m not a fan of partisan politics.” 

Dora Moore, the town clerk, sent out a notice earlier this week that the council will conduct a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, to conduct a public hearing on a proposed ordinance amending the town charter to implement four-year staggered terms of the town of Lewisville Town Council.

Further, it is proposed that a voter referendum to implement four-year staggered terms for council members be held at the November 2025 regular municipal election. At the regular municipal election to be held in 2027, the three candidates who receive the highest number of votes shall be elected for four-year terms, while the three candidates who receive the next highest number of votes shall be elected for two-year terms. 

At the regular municipal election to be held in 2029, and every four years thereafter, three members of the council shall be elected to serve for four-year terms. At the regular municipal election to be held in 2031, and every four years thereafter, three members of the council shall be elected to four-year terms. 

Following the public hearing, the council will consider passage of the ordinance at its regular meeting to be held on Feb. 13, 2025, at 6 p.m.