Charter Group Wants Term Limits for Officials

A citizen group in charge of reviewing the city’s constitution is largely in favor of .

The group also wants to offset the first-timer “learning curve” with mandatory training.

The group says it is not proposing a lifetime bar once an elected official's terms are up. If the official wanted to run for the same seat again, he or she could do so, the group says, so long as the person sits out a term. As the charter is written now, officials are elected into four years of service. The group is undecided on capping officials at two or three consecutive terms (eight or 12 years of service, respectively).

Members based their argument on research and political theory from the Florida League of Cities and election experts, which supports the idea that term limits create a more competitive election process and bring new faces to city government.

“I think you want to make sure that to offset the concern about a loss of institutional knowledge ... we want some form of training,” member Lois Phillips said on Sept. 28.

Phillips explained that training should not be outlined in great detail in the charter.

“I think what you’re really looking for is a document that will have some kind of flexibility and longevity here,” Phillips said. “What is necessary for training here in the year 2011 might be very different in the year 2031.”

Member Jack Greenfield agreed.

“The syllabus for the training can change every two years,” he said. “It needn’t be described or cast in concrete until the time arrives.”

In Clearwater, a citizen group recently recommended doing away with term limits all together. Clearwater has limited its officials at two terms for the past 17 years. Officials on Oct. 6, and instead extended their term limit to three.

Readers shared mixed reaction after a on the proposed term limits:

• PRO: "I believe it is the way to go. I do believe it should be a period where one has the time to accomplish tasks at hand. Now if only this practice was embraced by the House and Senate!" (Monty Seidler)
• CON: "NO to term limits! If I don't care for the incumbent I'll vote for his/her opponent. If they are doing a good job I want to keep him/her." (Bob Burdewick)

The seven-member Charter Review Committee invites public attendance and feedback to its meetings. The group's final meeting on term limits before drafting a report for the commission is today (Oct. 12) at 6 p.m. in the . Thoughts may also be sent via email to the city clerk at DSchlegel@dunedinfl.net. (Note: This Charter Review Committee meeting was pushed up from it's originally published date.)

(The group's Sept. 28 meeting can be viewed in its entirety on the city website.)