The City Government Study Task Force meets with members of city staff on April 29, 2021.
A task force of Lawrence residents that has been reconsidering the city’s form of government has come out in favor of having a directly elected mayor.
As part of its meeting Thursday evening, the City Government Study Task Force voted 7-0, with a few members absent, to recommend that the city consider changing to a directly elected mayor who serves a four-year term. Currently, the City Commission chooses one of its own members to serve a one-year term as mayor each year by tradition, commissioners choose based on whoever received the most votes in the most recent election, though there have been exceptions.