Guide to Garner 2021-2022 | Page 6

Ken Marshburn Mayor kmarshburn @ garnernc . gov 919.773.4404 ( office )

Kathy Behringer Mayor Pro Tem

( Council Member ) kbehringer @ garnernc . gov

Demian Dellinger Council Member ddellinger @ garnernc . gov

Phil Matthews Council Member pmatthews @ garnernc . gov

Gra Singleton Council Member grantraceysingleton @ earthlink . net

FORM OF GOVERNMENT The Town of Garner operates under the council-manager form of government . The Town Council is a five-member body . All seats are at-large . The Council enacts ordinances and resolutions , adopts the annual budget , approves the financing of all Town operations and capital projects , and authorizes contracts of significant scope . The town manager is responsible for implementing the policies of the Council and managing the dayto-day operations of the Town government .

MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM The mayor presides at Town Council meetings and signs documents authorized by the Town Council . The mayor pro tem is selected by Council members after each election cycle . He or she assumes all mayoral duties in the absence of the mayor .

ELECTION PROCESS Regular municipal elections are held in the Town of Garner every other November 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 . If there are , for example , two open seats for Council , the two top vote getters are declared winners .

TOWN COUNCIL VOTES Official 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 affirmative vote .

TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS The Town Council has regular meetings on the first Monday and on the Tuesday following the third Monday of each month at 7 p . m . in the Ronnie S . Williams Council Chambers on the first floor of Town Hall , located 900 7th Ave . These meetings are live streamed at facebook . com / townofgarner and at youtube . com / townofgarner . They are also videotaped and later broadcast on the Town ’ s public , educational and governmental channel , GTV11 . The recorded meetings also can be viewed on demand on the Town ’ s website , garnernc . gov , and on the Town ’ s YouTube channel , youtube . com / townofgarner .

The Council holds work sessions on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p . m ., also in the Ronnie S . Williams Council Chambers . In addition , special meetings of the Council may be called . Agendas for all meetings are posted at garnernc . gov / government / towncouncil / town-council-agendasand-minutes .

Minutes of all meetings are kept and recorded by the town clerk or deputy town clerk . The minutes are then presented to the Council for approval . The minutes , as well as audio recordings of the meetings and the aforementioned videos , are available at garnernc . gov .

The Council receives public comments at the beginning of both regular meetings . Any person wishing to speak may sign in prior to the beginning of the meeting or submit a request to the Town Clerk ’ s Office by going to garnernc . gov / government / town-council .