COURTLAND
The Southampton County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing next month with regard to staggering their respective terms. If approved, an ordinance would — beginning with the next general election in November 2019 — elect four supervisors to four-year terms and three supervisors to two-year terms.

“The electoral board of the county will assign the individual terms of members by election district in a drawing to be conducted no later than March 31, 2019,” county administrator Mike Johnson said. “In all elections thereafter, all successful candidates will be elected for terms of four years.”

Dr. Alan Edwards, an outspoken opponent of staggering the terms, said that he’d like for the supervisors to volunteer for the two-year terms.

“I’d like to see three volunteers. I’m not particularly for this,” he said. “I’d like to hear what the public says about it, but I think if you want to put your money on the line, then we can come up with three volunteers.”

In case the number of districts is increased, the electoral board would assign two-year or four-year terms for each new district so as to maintain an equal practicable number of members to be elected biennially.