The Town of Stem is governed by the mayor-council form of government in which the Mayor and Board of Commissioners are more involved in daily operations than in the council-manager form. The Board meets on the third Monday of each month at 7:00pm at the Stem Town Hall, and may hold special meetings when appropriate or necessary. There are five commissioners who are elected at large to four year staggered terms.
These positions are not party-affiliated. Elections take place during odd-numbered years on the first Tuesday following a first Monday in November, and elected officials take their seats at the first meeting in December. At this meeting, the mayor pro tem position is filled by a vote of the council. Board members are elected to four year terms and the Mayor is elected to two year terms.
The Board of Commissioners is a legislative body and as such adopts Stem’s annual operating budget, which by law is always balanced and which includes a tax rate levied against real property and impact fees; expenditures on municipal projects and programs, including such capital projects as streets and drainage improvements and buildings and facilities construction; and funds for departmental operations, such as police and fire protection, planning, and development. The Board of Commissioners is the final authority in adopting laws and rules that govern the Town of Stem and provides for the safety and welfare of its citizens and visitors.
The Town Board may also establish subsidiary boards, such as the Planning Board, to aid it in governing.
All meetings are public and residents are encouraged to attend.
The following links will take you to specific pages for the different areas of the Stem Government.