Is the four-year New Bedford mayoral term working? Not all councilors think it is.

NEW BEDFORD - The city's first experience with a mayoral term of four years is coming to an end this year.Councilor Brian Gomes said that's one reason to ask voters their opinion on how it's working.

Mayor Jon Mitchell's fifth term also comes to a close this year. He has not said whether he'll run for a sixth term.

Mitchell won his fifth term - the first four-year term - in 2019 with 72% of the vote over Richard Tyson Moultrie.

That came after a strong showing in the preliminary election, where he received nearly 57% of the vote to 20% for Gomes and 10% for Moultrie. Gomes withdrew from the race after the preliminary election, leaving his spot open for Moultrie.

Gomes issued a statement Monday in support of a non-binding ballot question in November asking voters whether the term should be reduced once again to two years.

Mitchell vetoed the City Council's affirmative vote to place the non-binding question on the ballot. The board can override his veto with an eight-vote supermajority of the 11-member board.

The council's next full meeting is April 13.

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Four-year term vote "hardly overwhelming"

Gomes said the ballot to change the term to four years in 2017 narrowly passed by "a mere 777 votes" in a total turnout of "only" 25%.

He added it received 6,904 affirmative votes, or 48.9%.

Gomes said it was "hardly overwhelming support."

Gomes also said that historically a mayor's race impacts other races for city office. When there's no mayoral election, turnout for other candidates suffers.

"Having off years where the mayor doesn't run at all will further this unfortunate outcome," he said.

Gomes added, "I wholeheartedly support putting the question back before the public to determine, after now having the opportunity to see the four-year term in practice, whether the vote in 2017 was too small a sample of voters or not; whether the outcome was a wise choice or a mistake; whether the promise of what a four-year term would bring was delivered or fell short."

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Mitchell: Four-year term 'the norm'

In vetoing the non-binding ballot question, Mitchell stated the four-year term is the national norm in cities with populations greater than 100,000.

That's because, he said, the scope of the work needed is such that two years doesn't give voters time to evaluate the results.

Mitchell said, "Many in this city fought long to secure the stability that comes with a four-year term recognizing that it would lead to more effective governance."

He added, "If certain councilors believe the voters were wrong and that the mayor's term should be shorter, those councilors are at liberty to gather the signatures necessary to place the matter on the municipal ballot, as was done in 2017. Proceeding instead with a non-binding referendum will only raise questions about its real purpose."

Nomination papers for city offices, including mayor, became available Tuesday and the deadline to take out nomination papers to run is July 28.

Who took out papers on Tuesday?

Among those pulling papers Tuesday were Shane Oliver for Ward 3, and Scott Lima for an at-large council seat.Oliver recently won election to the board from Ward 3 to fill out the last year in Councilor Hugh Dunn's term after Dunn's resignation.

Lima, Ward 5 councilor, recently announced he was not seeking re-election for Ward 5. Lima said he didn't say that he might not seek another office.

Also taking out papers Tuesday were Nathan Almeida for mayor, Joseph Lopes for Ward 5, Leo Choquette for Ward 1, incumbent Derek Baptiste for Ward 4, and incumbent Ryan Pereira for Ward 6.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: City councilor Gomes wants voters take on New Bedford mayoral term