Star City voters overwhelmingly supported moving the town’s municipal election to coincide with county, state and federal elections.
The ballot question received 387 votes in favor of the change and 49 votes against.
Star City has always held its municipal election in June of odd-numbered years.
When the town holds its June 2023 election, the seats of mayor, recorder and town council will be on the ballot for a one-year term ending June 30, 2024.
Doing so will allow those seats to go back before voters, this time for the standard two-year terms, as part of the county’s 2024 primary election ballot.
Star City Mayor Herman Reid said the voters made the right choice.
“That works out great for Star City. You look at the numbers and the voter turnout is terrible in these little city elections. A lot of people don’t even know about them half the time,” Reid said.
Reid said the town of approximately 2,000 residents typically spends between $2,000 and $3,000 holding its standalone municipal election.
According to The Dominion Post archive, 89 votes for Councilor Sharon Doyle was the most received by any candidate in 2019. In 2021, Reid received 98 to top the list.
“I honestly wish Morgantown, Granville and Westover would do the same thing. To me, it’s smart to the let the county handle the elections. It’s less burden on the city and it’s less burden on residents, especially elderly residents, to have to come out and vote in a separate election for the city,” Reid said. “It just works out all the way around.”
All vote totals are unofficial until certified through the canvassing process.
