Publication Date: Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Mayor wants third term in mix
Mayor wants third term in mix
(May 04, 2005) Yet another charter amendment proposed
by Bill D'Agostino
Should Palo Alto City Council members be allowed to serve three consecutive terms?
Mayor Jim Burch believes so, and is hoping to find support from other council members so voters can amend the city charter in November.
The city's charter -- which contains many of the bylaws that guide the local government -- has suddenly become a hot topic. The mayor's proposal is the fourth amendment floated publicly this year, and it seems likely at least two of them will come before the City Council by the end of the summer for possible voter consideration. (All amendments need voter-approval.)
Currently, the charter prevents a Palo Alto council member from serving more than two consecutive four-year terms.
That wasn't always the case. From the beginning of the local government's history a century ago, council members could serve unlimited terms.
In 1991, voters approved the term limits, with 58 percent voting in support. The change was in vogue at the time -- at least 22 California cities approved similar restrictions in the 1990s, according to www.termlimits.org.
But Burch argues the two-term limit is too stringent. The city, as a result, loses experienced, distinguished council members who have "institutional memory," he said. Burch noted that Councilman Vic Ojakian is one capable and experienced council member forced to step down this year.
Former Councilwoman Gail Wooley was one of the leaders who pushed the community to adopt term limits in 1991. She felt that after eight years a council member doesn't have the same energy, commitment and ability to look at things critically. She now thinks term limits have been beneficial for the city, and wondered aloud about Burch's rationale for the proposed change.
"I don't see a need for that," Wooley said. "I think new heads, new eyes and new brains every eight years is fine."
Santa Clara County Supervisor and former Palo Alto Mayor Liz Kniss thinks Burch's idea is a good. Across the county, voters often reject the candidacies of incumbents with spotty records, she noted.
"People who are not competent are not re-elected," Kniss said. "The public gets it."
Meanwhile, another charter amendments under consideration this year -- a proposal to shrink the council from nine to seven members -- has found a potential backer in Councilwoman Judy Kleinberg.
The idea has been floated occasionally in recent years, but appears to have greater community support this year. The leaders of Palo Alto Neighborhoods group discussed it, with apparent enthusiasm, at a meeting last month.
Kleinberg believes there are too many council members to have meaningful discussions on important issues. As a result, officials have time only to give speeches to the audience, rather than debate the merits of an issue, she said.
"I've caught myself doing that because there isn't time to go around two and three and four times to find common ground and compromise," she said.
Opponents of this idea, however, argue that because council members are required to be at so many regional and local meetings, fewer participants would be overwhelmed.
There are two other charter amendments apparently under consideration this year. One would allow the city's voters, not the City Council, to elect the city's mayor. The other would allow an independent group body to have more authority to oversee the police department. (The charter currently gives the city manager the sole responsibility for overseeing the police department.)
There are two possible ways to amend the city's charter, according to City Clerk Donna Rogers. Residents can collect nearly 6,000 signatures of registered voters and force the City Council to place an amendment on the fall ballot. Or a majority of council members can do it themselves.
Signature gatherers are given 90 days to collect enough signatures. However, to get a measure on this November's ballot, Rogers believes they would need to collect the signatures by June. (So far, no one has begun the process.) However, the council has until early August to place an issue on the ballot to make the deadline.
Since there is also a council election this year, a special election to amend the charter would cost approximately $50,000 to $60,000.
Staff Writer Bill D'Agostino can be e-mailed at bdagostino@paweekly.com.
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