New Bill Would Add Two New Seats To Winston-Salem City Council

North Carolina state representatives Donny Lambeth and Lee Zachary introduced a bill Monday to add two new seats to the Winston-Salem City Council. 

Currently, there are eight members of the council, each one representing a different city ward. The two new seats would be elected at-large, or by a citywide vote. Currently, only the mayor is elected at-large. 

House Bill 39 is the culmination of nearly two years' worth of discussion on the structure of the city council. In 2019, Lambeth, alongside Representative Debra Conrad, introduced a bill that would have reduced the number of city wards and added three at-large members. 

After Mayor Allen Joines intervened, the bill was withdrawn and a commission was created to study how the council could be reorganized.

In March of 2020, that commission recommended adding two new members elected citywide. 

HB 39 would do just that. If passed, the new members would be elected in November 2024.