Laguna Beach Residents/Voters, isn’t it time our elected officials allow us to vote on adopting City Council and Boards and Commission term limits?
As a resident and supporter of term limits for elected officials, I have spoken at council a number of times and sent a written request to city officials on Nov. 14, 2023. Plenty of time to allow public discussion for the 2024 ballot for consideration. In my council letter, I expressed the following:
The discussion on adopting term limits has been ongoing in our city for at least a decade. It’s been ignored by our Mayors and Mayor Pro Tems.
Laguna Beach is one of a small number of cities (3-4?) among the 34 cities in Orange County that has not formally moved to allow voters to vote on term limits for elected officials.
I suggested reviewing neighboring cities’ term limit policies, such as the City of San Clemente, where voters passed Measure BB term limits in 2020.
I directed them to the growing number of cities/school boards that established term limits. Ballotpedia lists 64 term limit measures for publicly elected government officials in California Voters since 2016.
I questioned why Laguna Beach residents aren’t given the same consideration and right.
I asked that the Mayor instruct the Interim City Manager to agendize it for public discussion and to determine the most expeditious way to get it before voters. I included Planning and DRB Boards and Commission positions, too.
I agreed with Indy columnist Michael Ray, who suggested adding council term limits in his opinion column on March 12, 2021. So did many others.
Last week, I saw another prominent local, Sam Goldstein/former Liberate Laguna PAC, asking for council term limits in his Indy letter on Feb. 16.
I ask residents: Should we stakeholders have to petition/force our council to allow us to vote on term limits when most other cities allow their constituents to do so? I hope not.
Please join residents by contacting City Council members and requesting that term limits be put on the ballot.
MJ Abraham, Laguna Beach resident and founder of Laguna Beach Chat
I agree.
Term limits help limit insider’s only government, favoritism, innovation, governmental domination, and corruption.
With the vast majority of cities having term limits and our local politicians refusing to enact them, it has to make you wonder just exactly why they’re opposed. Could it be for the very reasons I’ve cited above?