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Measure J Term limits City of Monte Sereno 997 / 68.1% Yes votes ...... 467 / 31.9% No votes
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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| Infomation shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | | |||||
Shall an ordinance be adopted limiting the number of terms a member
of the Monte Sereno City Council may serve on the City Council
to two consecutive four year terms with a right to run for office again
only after at least two years have elapsed since that person last held office?
The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure J. If you desire a copy of the ordinance, please call the City Clerk's office at (408) 354-7635 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.
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| Arguments For Measure J | Arguments Against Measure J | ||||
| A vote for term limits will promote the orderly revitalization of Monte
Sereno's city council and do away with career politicians, some of who
have remained in their council seats for as long as sixteen years. Term
limits have proven to work at all levels of
government including the Presidency of the United States, the Governor
of California and our State's legislative bodies.
Term limits, as proposed for Monte Sereno, will provide the opportunity for a far greater number of our citizens to become involved in the governing of our city, a worthwhile and healthy goal for the future. The opportunity will be created where citizens who might not otherwise challenge an incumbent, will be encouraged to get involved and run for office. Some will argue against term limits asserting that because Monte Sereno is so small the pool of potential city council candidates is too limited and therefore we need individuals who will serve for an extended period of time. These are self-serving allegations by incumbents who make Monte Sereno politics their primary occupation. Your support of term limits will result in a stronger, more diversified and responsive government.
It is not likely that Monte Sereno council people will see the proliferation of emergency powers that demanded a term limit on the office of the President of the United States. The state budget process has not been improved by term limits. There are not many Californians left to recall the accomplishments of Hiram Johnson's almost forty years of office. Seven candidates for city council indicates Monte Sereno is involved. With incumbents who make politics their prime operation, term limits to attract people who "just don't have the time" doesn't seem worthwhile. ED STEFFANI, SCC Principal Civil Engineer, Ret. | To write eligibility rules for candidates is to predetermine who is
to be represented.
We must respect the decisions of our representatives, like them or not. The decision must be the product of honest discussion. The decision should be made after considering several viewpoints. Decision making, though it is the product of argument, must not be looked on as a fight. The opposition may be doing me a favor by, in the end, keeping me from looking like a fool. We must get at the truth. When we limit terms, we loose not only experience but also continuity. "We tried it many years ago" is valuable knowledge. The benefit of a long term program is lost when it is interrupted through ignorance. The election year can be a "happy hunting ground" for the media, - be careful.
Experience and Continuity all too often result in entrenched stodginess and arrogant effrontery. There are plenty of well qualified, interested individuals in Monte Sereno to serve on our Council. We need to encourage all citizens to get involved in city affairs. We can level the candidate's playing field with term limits. Let's retire Monte Sereno's career politicians. No one is irreplaceable.
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Created: February 16, 1999 18:55
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