CENTRAL FALLS — After 49 years without a revision, residents here felt it was time to make amendments to the City Charter, yesterday voting in favor of changing the charter by a vote of 1,358 to approve to 590 to reject.

The biggest change will give the mayor four years in office instead of two. Right now, the mayor and the council are elected to two-year terms in off- election years. The change to the mayor’s term in office will take effect in 2009.

Other amendments were minor changes of language and housekeeping.

Mayor Charles Moreau, who is serving his second two-year term said that four years gives the mayor a chance to continue the work he has started and the majority of the City Council agreed. A voter would get a better chance to see what a mayor is capable of doing in four years, Moreau said.

With a two-year term, the first year is spent getting accustomed to the job and the next year is spent on running for reelection, Moreau said.

Councilman William Benson opposed increasing the mayor’s term, saying it gives him or her an unfair political advantage over council members who oppose him.

A four-year term would give the mayor time to put his energies into ousting council members who oppose him, Benson said. A two-year term did not give him time to do that, he said.

Central Falls voters also approved all 9 statewide ballot questions.