Havre de Grace leaders are looking into loosening the city’s citizenship requirements for mayoral and council candidates, which appear to be among the strictest in the region.

A proposed charter amendment would require candidates for Havre de Grace mayor or City Council be U.S. citizens for two years, instead of the current 10 years. A Jan. 5 public hearing is set for the charter amendment resolution, which was introduced Dec. 1.

Neither the Town of Bel Air nor the City of Aberdeen has similar requirements. Both municipalities require just U.S. citizenship in general.

But Havre de Grace’s year-specific requirement is comparable to those for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, which require candidates have at least nine and seven years of citizenship, respectively.

Havre de Grace Council Council President Jim Ringsaker, who introduced the resolution, has not responded to a request for comment.

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