Anaheim’s Charter Review Commission met last night to take up several parts of Section 500 of the city charter, which pertains to the mayor and city council.
I wasn’t able to attend the meeting and the video isn’t up yet, but here’s what i am told took place.
There was a move to change the mayoral term from four to two years. Anaheim is the only Orange County city with a directly-elected mayor in which the mayoral term is four years. All other OC cities with directly elected mayors – Orange, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Westminster, Irvine — have two-year mayoral terms.
This recommendation was approved on a 5-2 vote. Commissioners Robert Dunn (Tait appointee) and Amanda Edinger (Kring appointee) voted in opposition.
The CRC also took up the matter of term limits. Currently the charter states that “No person shall serve as Mayor or as a member of the City Council for a combined period of more than eight consecutive years.” A quirk of the term limits section prohibits councilmembers from running fro mayor in the middle of their second council term.
I’m told Commissioners Dunn (Tait appointee) and Keith Oleson (Gail Eastman appointee) argued for eliminating term limits altogether, and the CRC ultimately voted 6-1 to do just that, with Commissioner Gloria Ma’ae (CRC appointee) voting in opposition.
The next meeting of the CRC is October 17.
Wow, no term limits?
Can we get a little more info as to justification?
Why do you care? This isn’t your city – get a life. And Matt is working with our city not against it so couldn’t care less that he lives in Orange.
I’m very glad to see that the validity of commenting here is based with your approval of the opinion expressed and not the residency of the commenter. You’d do well in China.
Anyway, brother Matt, inquiring minds want to know! To term or not to term, why the adjustment?
You refuse to answer basic questions like why are you obsessing and weighing in on Anaheim issues when you don’t live here? Why not start a blog in your own city and attack its policies rather than incessantly posting on Anaheim?
Ok pal. You don’t like me. We can move on now.
Have an opinion on term limits or would you like to toss a few more rocks?
I prefer term limits. Democracy works better with fresh new faces every four to eight years. Like when Mayor Pringle became Mayor after Mayor Daly’s ten loooong years (Mayor Daly tried to hold a special election so he could be Mayor for life!). Campaigns every two years is not sensible. But I do think it would be ok for a candidate to run again after a four year break. This gives others a chance to serve. So we look forward to Mayor Pringle returning in two years!
I don’t have an answer for you. I wasn’t there and the video wasn’t up ;last time I checked.
I don’t think there’s anymore to it other than the commissioners don’t support term limits. I’m not a fan of them, either. I would repeal them at the state level and could do without them at the local level.