Happy Memorial Day!
Nothing is more patriotic on this day to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy, then to have a discussion about an important piece of that democracy! And so shall it be today.
Lindsey McPherson wrote this article recently, spotlighting Councilman Calvin Ball's proposal to have the current number of terms that County Council members are limited to from three to four.
Term limits as a policy have always perplexed me a little. As in, what problem are term limits trying to solve? Are they a tool to attempt to promote more participation and competition in standing for elected office? If so, there are other ways to do that, such as allowing for greater ballot access, campaign finance reform, and increasing the salaries of elected positions.
Are they a tool to promote a "move up or move out" culture in politics, thereby making elected officials more dedicated/committed to their work? If that's the case, then why force competition, which will invariably lead to good elected officials being voted out of, or retiring from, office.
I'm really not sure what purpose term limits serve, other than that they make a certain sector of the electorate happy with themselves, that there exists a mechanism to move elected officials out of office. This being the case, it would seem that, barring banning term limits altogether, extending them would be the next best thing to do. So this legislation does seem like a good idea.
