Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and City Council members donât believe there is a good way to navigate recent General Assembly legislation requiring the city to move its elections from May to November.
The billâSB1157âoverrides Fredericksburgâs charter for City Council and School Board elections and will take effect in November 2022 if Gov. Ralph Northam signs it into law at the end of the month. City Council members say they will be hard-pressed to hold the next election before incoming census data influences redistricting efforts in 2022.
Thatâs why council members decided it may be best to get ahead of the General Assemblyâs new bill and hold elections for four ward seats this November instead of next. Council members directed City Attorney Kathleen Dooley to draft an ordinance that would move Fredericksburgâs elections to odd-numbered years instead of even-numbered years beginning this fall.