Monroe City Council votes to oppose HB3

Monroe City Council members voted 5-1 to publicly oppose HB3, a bill that would require their elections to be partisan, in an emergency meeting on Monday.

They are asking for more time before the state makes an official decision.

This potential change to the city’s election process comes after a house bill was amended by North Carolina lawmakers to include the city.

Channel 9’s Eli Brand said if passed, the bill would require candidates for Monroe to list their political party when running for office, forcing most offices to hold primary elections.

“We were very disturbed by the fact that we didn’t know this HB3 was going to affect Monroe so significantly,” Council member Julie Thompson said.

It is estimated that new primaries could cost the city $75,000 to run which would be costly for taxpayers if it passes.

“I oppose it because of the way it was handled,” Monroe resident Steven Stegall said.

The five council members opposing HB3 agree with Stegall. They say their main issue with the bill is that there was not enough notice given that the change could be coming.

“Your vote and elections are a sacred thing,” Thompson said. “We live in a free county, and you should be able to whether you’re unaffiliated or a Democrat or Republican, to vote your conscience and have your voice at the ballot box.”

The one member of council who supported the bill was Mayor Pro Temp David Dotson. He said partisan elections help people understand who they’re voting for.

During the meeting, Thompson said she received a call from state lawmakers saying they were working on a way to give Monroe more time to let people know partisan elections could be coming.

An amendment could be added to the bill extending current council members’ terms by one tear and moving Monroe city elections to even years, she said.

If the amendment is presented, it should be voted on sometime this week.

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