Lake Forest to place measure lifting council term limits on November ballot

In November, Lake Forest residents will vote on whether to lift a ban preventing city council members from ever running again after having served two consecutive four-year terms.

It could be a tough sell, given that the 2018 ballot measure that enacted the lifetime ban passed with an overwhelming 82.5% of the vote.

But in December, Lake Forest Councilmember Scott Voigts floated the idea of overturning it and directed city staff to bring back an agenda item on a ballot measure that would do just that.

More than six months later, the Lake Forest City Council discussed the measure before voting unanimously to place it on the November ballot.

If passed, it would allow council members to run again after serving two consecutive four-year terms so long as they’ve taken a four-year hiatus. There wouldn’t be a limit on how many terms a council member could serve subject to those rules.

“We have term limits; they’re called elections,” said Councilmember Mark Tettemer, speaking in support of the measure. “If you don’t like anybody, don’t vote for them and campaign for their opposition.”

Tettemer added that had the current ban been in place in 2018, he wouldn’t have been able to run for council that year after having served two terms in 2004 and 2008.

Under the existing ban, though, Tettemer would term out after this year and be prohibited from ever running again. Despite that fact, he pledged that his support for the ballot measure wasn’t about keeping the door open for his political future.

“I’m 65 right now,” Tettemer said. “Do I think I’m coming back at 69? I do not. But I wouldn’t want to preclude one of my colleagues from the opportunity to come back.”

According to a staff report, Lake Forest could be joining a number of other Orange County cities that have recently tinkered with council term limits.

In 2024, La Palma voters approved three consecutive four-year terms for council members with a four-year cooling off period before a politician could run for a reset number of terms.

That same year, Los Alamitos voters passed a series of charter amendments that included paving the way for politicians to serve 12 years consecutively with a one-year hiatus before being able to seek office again.

Lake Forest residents opposed to the move questioned whether it would allow sitting council members to extend their terms without a four-year hiatus.

“That needs to be clarified,” said Randy Johnson. “That’s a critical question. We don’t need Scott Voigts back at the council again.”

Council member Doug Cirbo addressed the assertion with City Atty. Mal Richardson.

“There’s no resetting of the clock,” Cirbo said. “There’s no way that I or Mayor [Robert] Pequeño could have any more terms than our current two terms that we have.”

Richardson affirmed the notion but stated anybody could run again after a four-year council hiatus if the measure passes in the fall.

Longtime resident Norma Bates criticized the push to ask voters to lift the lifetime ban.

“We need fresh blood,” she said. “We appreciate your service, but it’s time to go on and let other people serve us and not get stagnant.”

Pequeño expressed no desire to return to the dais, no matter what the cooling off period might be.

“I don’t feel any of us have a longing to come back,” Voigts added. “But most cities don’t have a lifetime ban.”

The panel approved the measure in a unanimous vote. Placing it on the November ballot will cost the city $8,500.