Tybee Island leaders remove agenda item on changes to City Council voting system

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - The City of Tybee Island is considering changing how voters can elect city council members, a major topic of discussion during Thursday night’s council meeting.

Currently, Tybee uses a plurality system, where voters pick the top three candidates and those candidates get a seat on council.

The city is considering a majority system, where candidates would run for specific seats and must beat their direct opponent.

The agenda included a resolution requesting a referendum that would allow voters to decide if they want to shift how they vote for council seats. However, the resolution was removed from the agenda Thursday night. That did not stop residents from voicing concerns.

Some residents said, “If we are going to change the way we vote, why limit to just two possibilities.”

Another resident stated, “What we need to do is keep our voting system the way it is. It’s not broken.”

Another resident stated, “A plurality vote allows each voter to choose from more candidates and vote for those they believe will represent them best.

City of Tybee Mayor Brian West said the current system can result in candidates winning office without receiving a majority of the votes. Earlier this week, he told WTOC he hoped to place the referendum on the ballot this November.

WTOC will continue to follow this story.