Town charter revisions set for public hearing
Black Mountain leaders review proposed changes
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 25, 2021
Town of Black Mountain Town Hall. Photo by Fred McCormick
Changes to “archaic” language and items in the founding document of Black Mountain will be presented in a public hearing in April, following the Feb. 25 special call meeting of town leaders.
Among the proposed updates to the town charter, which has not undergone substantial revisions since the 1950s, are changes to the name of the local governing body and length of appointments when filling vacancies in elected positions.
The current document refers to the elected governing body as the “board of aldermen,” a term derived from an Old English term translating to “elder man.” The proposed revisions would utilize the term “town council.”
Pam King initially advocated for the use of a gender-inclusive title for the board in a January special call meeting to discuss amending the town charter. The recommendation received verbal support from Ryan Stone and Mayor Larry Harris at the time. King originally made a motion to officially change the title in January, but town attorney Ron Sneed suggested that all revisions to the town charter be made simultaneously through a rewrite of the document.
During that meeting, the board voted unanimously to amend the charter regarding the length of appointments when filling vacant seats on the board or in the mayor’s office. The current language indicates the board will appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term while state statute calls for seats to be filled until the next general election, unless appointed within 90 days of that time.
The amendment aligns with the state statute but modifies the timeframe in which the appointee is to serve if placed in the seat within 135 days of the next general election.
Anna Stearns, a Black Mountain attorney who served as the General Counsel and Chief of Staff to former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, reviewed the proposed changes to the charter in Thursday’s meeting.
“There were several things in the existing charter that make sense to update and paragraphs that should just go away, altogether,” Stearns told the board. “It was easier to start fresh than to try to redline the existing charter.”
The revisions include the renumbering of sections to maintain consistency, the elimination of titles and duties no longer utilized by the town and the elimination of other outdated items.
“By and large the charter should be very simple and straightforward,” Stearns said. “It’s the hardest governing document for the town to change so most things you want to change as you go along should be in your ordinances.”
The charter will not contain a process for filling vacancies on the board.
“I want to remind everyone that that’s a conversation we need to continue having after we're finished with the charter,” King said. “How you fill vacancies is important, too.”
The board will announce a public hearing on the revised town charter in its Monday, March 8 regular monthly meeting. The hearing will be listed on the agenda for the board’s regular meeting in April.
If passed by the town council, the revised charter would require approval by the General Assembly, which convened its 2021 session in January and is scheduled to adjourn July 2.