Onondaga County voters might finally get to decide whether to impose term limits on the offices of county executive and comptroller. Lawmakers are preparing to take the first step toward getting the measure on the ballot. A court brokered agreement requires the legislature to vote at Tuesday’s session. Chairwoman Nicole Watts said she’s ready to move forward.
“The thing that I'm the most excited about in this is that we get to get term limits on the ballot for our voters this November," she said at a committee meeting. "I believe that this is something that our voters have clearly expressed that they would like to see.”
The proposed local law includes two measures for voters to choose from: A 12-year limit or a 16-year limit. The one with the most votes becomes law. It would supplant the previously approved measure that generated weeks of debate when the county executive signed both an approval and a veto. Democrats, who supported the measure, claimed the approval was the only legally binding version. GOP floor leader Brian May said he’s glad to put the drama behind them.
“The thing that frustrates me as a member of the leadership here is that it left some hard feelings," he said in an interview with WAER News. "Feelings of disrespect, feelings of mistrust, that's the part that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. But the resolution, technically, we can live with that.”
Once lawmakers give their approval at Tuesday's session, the court agreement requires the county executive to hold a public hearing and sign the measure by September 9th. Both elections commissioners must also agree to put it on the ballot.
