Newport’s Council-Manager Government
Newport operates under a council-manager form of government, where the Town Council is elected by the citizens and serves as the final authority on policy decisions related to the Town's operations. The Council hires a professional, full-time City/Town Manager to oversee the daily management and operations of the Town.
The Mayor serves as the official head of government and acts as the spokesperson for the Council. The Mayor presides over all Council meetings and signs documents authorized by the Council. The Mayor Pro Tem is selected by the newly-elected Council to assume the Mayor’s duties in their absence.
The Mayor and Town Council are responsible for setting general policies for the Town, appointing key officials such as the City/Town Manager, Town Clerk, Tax Administrator, Chief of Police, and members of various volunteer Boards and Commissions. The Council also enacts ordinances, resolutions, and orders, adopts the annual budget, and approves the financing for all Town operations.
The Mayor and Council Members serve four-year terms, with non-partisan elections held every other November in odd-numbered years. Elections are held at-large, meaning all residents vote for the five Council Members and the Mayor.
Regular Town Council meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm.
Please note that any and all correspondence to and from the e-mail addresses of the elected officials is subject to North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
