Should Birmingham's mayor and council hold elections on the same day? Listen to the public sound off on the issue.
Currently, in Birmingham, members of the city council and mayor run two years apart. As a result, some city council members also run for mayor.
"When people say they want to be a city council person, they will be a city council person for those four years and not be co-mayors or setting themselves up to run for mayor in two years," State Representative Merika Coleman says.
The original bill was introduced in 2007. Leona Payne asked for a re-introduction. She thinks it will eliminate hostility between city leaders.
Leona Payne says, "Keep the people who are maybe council persons who run for Mayor, they lose, they go back and then there is an attitude problem because they did not win the race."
Payne says it will also cut voter confusion.
"We felt that it would benefit the entire city if they are elected on the same date to keep down the confusion"
So, Monday night State Representative Merika Coleman called for a special meeting for the public to have a say. Some were for the proposal
"I think this is a great idea, and I'm for it."
Some against.
"William Bell! What happens when you have a good council person and they run for mayor and then they lost off the council."
But, Coleman says the purpose was accomplished.
"We want to hear what the public wants. i will propose a bill for June first that just says yes or no, do you want your mayor and council synchronized or not."
One other much talked about aspect of this bill is that Mayor William Bell would get a two year extension in the mayor's office. He would not have to run again until 2013 with the rest of the council.
