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Time period limits sound like a good suggestion. In concept, they promote good authorities, assist take away dangerous actors from workplace, generate new concepts and make for extra aggressive races. However in observe they don’t essentially accomplish any of these laudable objectives.
As a substitute, they may end up in election of inexperienced individuals who spend months, if not years, getting up to the mark on the area’s advanced housing, homeless, public security and transportation points — and counting on particular curiosity teams to information their votes. In the meantime, time period limits may end up in the displacement of certified, efficient and skilled leaders.
Look at the standard of officeholders serving in lots of the Bay Space’s cities with time period limits. You can see that time period limits don't essentially produce the brand new concepts and high quality officeholders that term-limit supporters promise.
The underside line is that voters ought to have the choice to retain high quality, skilled officeholders or, in the event that they select, do away with deadwood leaders. Measures on the Nov. 8 poll in Milpitas and Saratoga would cut back the choices. That’s why voters ought to reject them.
Milpitas
Milpitas’ Measure F would commerce the town’s present term-limit construction for a extra advanced strategy.
At current, Milpitas council members can serve three four-year phrases. Milpitas mayors are elected for 2 years and are restricted to a few two-year phrases, creating the opportunity of somebody serving a complete of 18 years.
Measure F would set up a restrict of 10 consecutive years on mixed mayoral and Metropolis Council service, scale back the variety of Metropolis Council phrases from three to 2 and proceed the six-year restrict on mayors.
The constructive a part of the measure is that it could enable elected officers to take a two-year “cooling off” interval after which come again with a contemporary 10-year restrict. However that enchancment isn’t justification for therefore severely tightening the restrict from 18 years to 10 years.
The poll measure was impressed partly by present Mayor Wealthy Tran’s proposal in March to make the mayor’s time period 4 years, reasonably than two. We don’t at all times agree with Tran, however that concept, by itself, would have been an enchancment.
Tran, who's termed out after serving as mayor for six years, makes a compelling argument that two-year phrases aren’t sufficient time for mayors to get issues carried out. However, Tran’s tenure as mayor, which has been marked by infighting with Metropolis Council members, exhibits that time period limits received’t spare a group from poor management ways. The reply is to higher educate voters to allow them to oust ineffective officers.
Milpitas residents deserve increased high quality candidates who deal with Metropolis Council members and the general public with respect. Sadly, time period limits aren’t the reply to undertaking that aim.
Saratoga
Saratoga’s Measure C is less complicated than Milpitas’ Measure F.
In 1992, Saratoga voters adopted a non-binding advisory measure limiting Metropolis Council members to 2 phrases. Two years in the past, the Metropolis Council handed a decision calling for council members to voluntarily comply.
Three present Metropolis Councilmembers — Mary-Lynne Bernald, Rishi Kumar and Yan Zhao — are within the remaining yr of their second phrases and aren't working for reelection.
Measure C would set up a legally binding two-term restrict. It additionally features a provision saying that any councilmember who's appointed to the Metropolis Council would have their time served depend as a time period, no matter once they have been appointed.
Saratoga’s Metropolis Council authorised poll arguments in assist of the measure that say that time period limits would maintain elected officers accountable, promote contemporary views and concepts, foster higher resident participation in native authorities, create extra aggressive elections, and supply voters with extra alternative on the poll field. These are worthy objectives. However time period limits haven’t delivered in observe.
Voters ought to reject Milpitas’ Measure F and Saratoga’s Measure C.