JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Washington County Democratic Party is opposing four proposed changes to Johnson City’s charter.

The City Commission unanimously approved all four proposed changes on second reading Thursday night, but they will have to approve them on third reading for final approval. They would then go before voters as referendums in the Aug. 1 election.

On Wednesday, the Washington County Democratic Party announced its opposition to the four proposals.

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One of the proposed changes would move the City Commission and Board of Education elections from November to August when the county general election is held. If the change is approved, current commissioners and school board members would see their terms extended by nearly two years.

Washington County Democrats are concerned that moving elections to August would result in lower turnout. They are also opposed to the one-time term extension.

“To me, we want as many Johnson Citians participating in City Commission elections as possible,” said Brad Batt, a Democrat running for Tennessee House District 6. “This move seems extremely anti-voter and also extends the City Commission’s de facto, their terms by almost two years.”

Mayor Todd Fowler said most Tennessee cities hold their election in August along with county elections. He said holding the municipal election with the November presidential election can catch uninformed voters by surprise.

“They were showing up to vote for the presidential election and they figured out when they got there that there were other things that they were going to vote for, and they may not have had any idea who they were voting for,” Fowler told News Channel 11. “They just wouldn’t vote because they didn’t have any idea.”

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Washington County Democrats are also concerned about a proposal to reduce the number of required readings to pass ordinances from three to two. Most Tennessee cities only require two readings.

The party is also against a proposal to reduce the number of times the proposed budget is published in the newspaper from two to one and another that would allow the city manager to make temporary employee appointments for longer than 90 days.

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