On April 5 Maplewood voters will determine if city council members will be limited to three 3-year terms.
40 South News on Twitter is running a poll for 24 hours beginning Monday March 14 at approximately 9 a.m. As of Monday early afternoon the poll was leaning toward installing term limits. The Twitter poll results on Monday: 63 percent in favor of term limits, 37 percent not for term limits. That’s with 16 votes.
Maplewood City Manager Marty Corcoran filled in some details:
If term limits passes, it is not retroactive. The 3-term limit would begin for those council members whose terms are up in 2017 and the remaining council members whose terms are up in 2019.
If a council member is term limited out he or she must sit out a year before he or she could run again. If no one files to run, the mayor and council can appoint someone to serve to the next scheduled election or six months, whatever is shorter. Example, no one files for the ward 3 seat in April and there are no write-in candidates, the mayor and council would appoint somebody to serve until the August election.
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Doug, are there any details on what would happen if a term limit is reached and no one else registers to run for the seat? I seem to recall councilman running unopposed in recent elections. I think Councilman Dunn maybe right on this one, in a small community term limits might not make much sense when people run unopposed.
I’m on it, Luke. Thanks for asking.
Luke – This is what happens if a Maplewood council member’s term limit is reached and no one registers to run. From City Manager Marty Corcoran:
If a councilmember is term limited out he or she must sit out a year before he or she could run again. If no one files to run, the Mayor and Council can appoint someone to serve to the next scheduled election or 6 months whatever is shorter. Example no one files for the ward 3 seat in April and there are no write in candidates, the Mayor and Council would appoint somebody to serve until the August election.
The 3 term limit would begin for those individuals whose terms are up in 2017 and the remaining councilmembers whose terms are up in 2019. The amendment if passed would not be retroactive.
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