NEWPORT BEACH : Term-Limit Drive Tops Signature Goal

A group of residents has reportedly gathered enough signatures to place a measure on the November ballot proposing a term limit for City Council members.

After a strong campaign effort over the weekend, which followed a signature-gathering drive at 15 polling places on Primary Election Day, group leaders say they have collected about 7,300 signatures, nearly 800 more than the 6,504 needed to qualify for the fall ballot.

“Most of (those who signed the petition) are into it,” said Maria Hedges, a leader of the petition drive by Newport Residents to Limit City Council Terms. “I guess they’re frustrated and they would like to see different people do a line of service.”

The group is still trying to collect more than the amount needed to qualify for the ballot because members say they want a showing of community support for the issue when it goes before the voters.

Hedges, whose husband, John, is a first-term council member, said that group members hope to collect between 8,500 and 9,000 signatures before the group submits the petition by the June 18 deadline.

“What I want is to be sure I have more than 20%” of the registered voters, Hedges said.

The group, which was formed about a month ago, staked out bustling community areas such as shopping centers and grocery stores, and canvassed neighborhoods to gather signatures.

“They say they just want to get away from the career politician at any level, even locally,” Hedges said about the people signing the petition.

In Newport Beach, council members can serve an indefinite number of four-year terms.

Under the proposed change, City Council members would only be able to serve two consecutive four-year terms and would need to sit out one term before running again.

Currently there are three council members who have served more than eight years--John C. Cox Jr., Ruthelyn Plummer and Evelyn R. Hart.

Two of those, Plummer and Cox, are up for reelection this fall.

However, if the ballot measure is approved by voters this fall, it would not affect the fall City Council elections.

It would not take effect until the next round of council elections in 1994.