Council in Favor of Limiting Terms
Term limits for council members will likely be on the November ballot.
The City Council agreed Tuesday to let voters decide whether council members should be limited to two consecutive terms in office.
The council will not take a final vote on the issue, however, until City Atty. Terry Dixon can research the legality of an alternative offered by resident Bill Wood.
Wood’s proposal would exclude incumbents’ names from the ballot but would allow them to be reelected by write-in.
“Giving term limits assumes the worst of all officeholders,” Wood said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “Personally, I find some incumbents are worth keeping.”
The city attorney said he should have an answer by the council’s Jan. 16 meeting on whether that would be legal.
Some council members also voiced support for the idea of allowing incumbents to run again after a two-year hiatus, and most supported term limits in concept.
“Serve two terms, get off, and give someone else a chance,” Councilman Mark Goodman said. “Someone else might have fresh ideas.”
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