Downey : Council Keeps Term-Limit, Tax Measures off Ballot

The City Council has tossed out proposed ballot measures that would limit how long council members could serve and restrict revenue from a city utility tax. Both measures failed by a vote of 4-1.

The term-limits proposal would have barred any council member from serving more than two consecutive four-year terms. The council rejected the proposed ballot measure virtually without comment.

Mayor Diane P. Boggs has led opposition to the measure. She argued that term limits were unnecessary because council seats already show a steady turnover. Former council members Robert G. Cormack and Barbara Hayden had supported term limits. When they retired from the council June 30, the measure had but one remaining supporter, incumbent Barbara J. Riley. New members Gary P. McCaughan and Joyce L. Lawrence joined incumbents Boggs and Robert Brazelton in opposing term limits.

The utility-tax measure would have created a special fund for collecting utility-tax revenues. The money currently goes into the general fund with other revenue. Either way, the money is supposed to be used only to pay for fire and police services. Supporters said the change was needed to keep the money from being used for the wrong purpose. Opponents said the accounting change was unnecessary because the revenue already funds police and fire agencies.

Each measure would have cost the city about $26,000 to place on the November ballot.