Term Limits
On the BOC agenda Monday, July 12, 2021, Commissioner Hefner of City District 3, presented an Ordinance Amendment to the MJ Charter to put term limits of two consecutive four-year terms on elected city commissioners and mayor to be voted on in the next election cycle. It did not get a second so it died on the floor. He promises to bring it back in 2022.
I didn’t give it a Second because I am opposed to term limits and this referendum.
Why I am opposed to term limits in MJ and the referendum:
Term limits takes the incentive to pay attention and the accountability away from the voter.
If this were to pass the BOC and get put on the ballot next November and let’s say 51% vote to change the Charter to include term limits by one vote.
That means that 49% of the population will no longer have a voice after eight years to keep a person in the seat that they may otherwise choose to support. Their voice would be silenced. They would be forced to choose between a selection of all new people with no experience whose platforms would be what they promise to do. There would be no voting records to examine. There would be no experience to be judged by.
Imagine an all new Board with the most experience being two years and the rest brand new. That could prove to be very risky and take the city in a direction it doesn’t need to go. Experience matters.
When you hire in the corporate world you hire experience to fill a position. Experience matters.
It all comes down to voter accountability. It’s the voter’s duty and responsibility to pay attention and hold elected officials accountable based on their voting records, behaviors, attitudes, good/bad decisions, their investment, etc.
When you don’t pay attention, but yet keep voting for the same people without looking into their voting records and perhaps money trails, that’s a direct result of a “lack of” voter accountability and that is how you get career politicians. Career politicians are not created by a lack of term limits. They are the direct result of a lack of voter participation and a lack of voters holding them accountable, if they are not doing their job the people elected them to do.
Term limits will benefit no one. There is not one advantage, not one right, not one choice that you would have that you don’t already have. You and the entire city right now have 100% of the voting power. Each voice is equal every four years.
Term limits silences a portion of the population whatever the percentage is. If a voter wants to keep their commissioner/mayor after eight years, then they should have the right to vote for them if they feel they’re the best choice.
If you don’t want that commissioner/mayor then you vote against them. That’s how it works and what’s fair to everyone.
Anything else is solely based on opinion and implementing more government regulation.
Commissioner Hefner says “if you can’t it done in eight years, you need to move on.” This is nothing but opinion based on inexperience. It doesn’t work that way in government. Many times it takes years to see a project you supported and/or sponsored through to completion. That’s just how government works unfortunately.
He also stated “it is extremely hard to run against an incumbent.” This happens all the time, it’s part of how the voting system works. Term limits are not needed to open the opportunity for someone to run. Anyone at any time can choose to run for office.
He was quoted in the news article as saying, “he had to put his own money into his campaign, and a lot of people don’t have that luxury.” I had to put my own money into my campaign too, 95% of it was self-funded and the other 5% was donations from constituents and family. You don’t have to have a lot of money to run for office in Mt. Juliet. It just depends on how much you want to put into it.