Overview of Town Government
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
The Town of Garner operates under the
council-manager form of government.
ELECTION PROCESS
Regular municipal elections are held in
the Town of Garner every two years in
odd-numbered years and are conducted
in accordance with the uniform municipal
election laws of the state of North Carolina. In
the mayoral election, the top vote getter wins.
Top vote getters also win the open seats for
Town Council. So if there are, for example, two
open seats for Town Council, the two top vote
getters are declared winners.
GOVERNING BODY
The mayor and Town Council serve as the
governing body of the Town. They exercise
all municipal powers and are charged with
the general government of the Town. They
establish general policy direction for Town staff.
MAYOR
The mayor is elected by voters residing in the
Town’s corporate limits for a four-year term.
He or she is the offi cial head of the Town
government and presides at all meetings of
the Town Council. The mayor votes on matters
before the Town Council only to break a tie.
There is no term limit.
TOWN COUNCIL
The Town Council is composed of fi ve
6
members, each of whom is elected to a
four-year term. The terms are staggered so
that, in one election cycle, two seats are up
for election, and in the following election cycle
(two years into the future), the other three
seats come up for election. There are
no term limits.
MAYOR PRO TEMPORE
Historically, the Town Council has appointed
one of its members to serve as mayor pro
tempore every two years following an election.
The mayor pro tempore performs the duties of
the mayor in the mayor’s absence or inability
to serve.
TOWN COUNCIL VOTES
Offi cial approval of the Town Council is by
majority vote, provided that a quorum—which
is a majority of the full membership of the
Council—is present. Every member must vote
unless excused by the remaining members,
according to statute. Unless a present Council
member is excused from voting, his or her
silence is recorded as an affi rmative vote.
TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS
The Town Council has regular meetings on the
fi rst Monday and on the Tuesday following the
third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the
Council Chambers on the fi rst fl oor of Town
Hall, located at 900 7th Ave. These meetings
are videotaped and later broadcast on the
Town’s public, educational and governmental
garnernc.gov