WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Board of Legislators Press Office. September 21, 2010:
County Legislators John Nonna (D-Pleasantville), Gordon A. Burrows (R-Yonkers) and Peter Harckham (D-Katonah) have joined forces to propose term limits for two county offices. The legislators’ proposal would impose a 3-term limit or twelve consecutive years for the seventeen legislators and the county executive. The bi-partisan plan also proposes extending the length of term of office for a county legislator from the present two years to four years.
“The topic of term limits is not necessarily popular among elected officials but it is popular among voters,” said Legislator John Nonna, Chair of the Legislation Committee which will debate the issue and take comments from the public. “I think the issue merits careful review and full debate. We need to determine what Westchester voters prefer and then do what needs to be done legislatively to put the will of the people into effect.”
While the legislature by charter has the authority to establish term limits by local law, the proposal to lengthen the term of office for a legislator from two to four years would have to be voted on by public referendum.
County Legislator Burrows has strongly advocated for term limits since he took office in 2005.
“The message of term limits is come and serve, contribute your time, talent and energy for the well-being of the Westchester community, then move on with our thanks,” said Burrows. “We need to encourage more citizens to take a turn at elective office so that the public will benefit from a greater diversity of opinions and perspectives.”
“We serve the public trust, not for personal gain,” added County Legislator Peter Harckham. “Term limits will focus legislative efforts and allow others similarly committed to public service the opportunity to serve as well.”
The topic of term limits has been debated in Westchester for the last twenty years. Nonna said that it is an idea whose time has come and that he and his co-sponsors all agreed that the outside limit of twelve years of consecutive service was appropriate.
“The 1988 charter revision commission discussed term limits but declined to endorse it at that point in time,” said Nonna. “However, the report indicates that if a cap were introduced, twelve years would be the recommended outside limit of consecutive years in office. Over the years, across the country in places that have adopted term limits, the twelve-year limit appears to have surfaced as a number that hits the right balance between continuity and change for the electorate.”
Harckham also commented on the plan’s proposal to lengthen the term of office for county legislators from two to four years. He said that the same rationale that underlies why the county executive, county clerk and district attorney serve four-year terms supports lengthening the term of a county legislator.
“While regular turn-over in terms of officeholders is generally good, a two-year term is too short a period in legislative time to achieve the goals that the public elected you to accomplish,” said Harckham. “A four-year term would provide the time needed to pursue and bring to fruition the complex issues and reforms that require thorough study, the input of a variety of stakeholders and several rounds of revisions.”
