Moving forward with a proposal to change the scheme of County Legislature terms received a slight nod of approval at the Ways and Means Community yesterday.
County Legislature Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock volunteered to bring a resolution to the next committee meeting that would authorize a public hearing on the proposal.
"If I can bring a resolution -- not because I'm sponsoring it, or because you're sponsoring it, but because that is the only way it will move forward," Hancock said. "To walk away from this would not be respectful of the committee."
The proposal would increase legislative terms from two to four years and stagger the terms so that entire legislature is not put up for election every two years. A committee charged by the Legislature to study a suggestion brought forward by a local resident made the recommendations.
There was no vote yesterday on Hancock's request, but also no objection raised during the committee meeting.
"I know it's not on your personal agenda, nor is it on ours, but it's out there," said Hollis Upson, committee chairman.
As Legislator Ed DeJaneiro spoke in favor of the specifics of the proposal, Legislator Annie Lawrence shook her head.
Asked later if she objected to the proposal, she said she might or might not support it, but now is not the time to deal with it.
"I don't think any of the legislators have heard any comments from any of their constituents," Lawrence said. "I think we've got bigger fish to fry this year than to bring this out."
This is a good idea, to me.
This is a good idea, to me. What about term limits?
Term limits have to be in
Term limits have to be in there to make this reasonable. Otherwise we may as well keep it the way it is, we re-elect the same batch of people every two years anyway.
If this goes through, you'll
If this goes through, you'll see your county representative once every four years versus every two (when they come by begging for your vote). I'm not sure I like that.
If they're looking to do something worth while they could reduce their size or go to a board of supervisors.