City Council members approved a special referendum June 8 that will allow voters to cast ballots on proposed changes in local election rules.

A separate ordinance that would have designated the Laurel Municipal Center as the polling place for the Sept. 8 special referendum was tabled.

Voters will cast ballots on a series of questions that would extend terms of council members from two to four years, allow for early voting and a date change for local elections, increase the pay for elected officials and place restrictions on which candidates residents can vote for.

The referendum has spurred debate among city officials and residents and Monday night's council meeting was no different.

"If we change voting days to odd years in November, all you will do is keep (the same voters) and it won't increase turnout," Dorset Road resident Arnold Evans said, referring to the ballot issue that will ask voters if elections should be held in odd-numbered years in November.

The next election is scheduled for September 2010, but if residents vote in favor of elections being held in November in odd years, the next election would be held in 2011. Under that scenario, officials would either serve an additional year in office, or an election would be held in 2010 for one-year terms for the mayor and council members, with a new election held in 2011.

"If increased participation is what you want, it should be held in even years when we have state and national elections," Evans added.

But according to Mayor Craig Moe, because Laurel's local elections are nonpartisan, they cannot be combined with the general state and national elections.

Edward Ricks, who chaired the special elections committee that recommended the changes, suggested that an additional polling place be set up for the referendum at Laurel Lakes, to make voting more convenient and to boost turnout.

"To add another polling place will confuse people," Moe said

Moe suggested that the referendum vote be held at the Phelps Senior Center, and asked the council to postpone a vote on a polling location, which members did.

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