Community Corner

Clock Starts Ticking for La Mesa Term Limit Petition

La Mesans can now sign a petition to require seasoned local politicians to leave office after three consecutive terms.

Under the proposition first proposed by the La Mesa Term Limits Committee about a month ago, members of the La Mesa City Council and the mayor would be required to leave office for four years if they are elected to three consecutive terms.

To see the complete proposed proposition and learn where the petition can be signed click here.

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For the term limit proposition to qualify to be placed on the November 2014 ballot, petitioners have 180 days from Nov. 14 to collect the necessary 3,300 signatures, or 10 percent of La Mesa’s registered voters, said City Clerk Mary Kennedy.

There is a big difference between philosophies on both sides of the term limit debate, said Craig Maxwell, a member of La Mesa Citizens Oversight Committee and La Mesa Term Limits Committee.

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One side says disruption of time in office for incumbent politicians is a good thing and the other side says voters award good politicians with new terms and vote bad representatives out.

”This is an issue that pits term limit advocates against its critics, but in the larger sense, in La Mesa at least, it’s not really about that at all. It’s not about what we [La Mesa Term Limits Committee] think of term limits. It’s about allowing the people of La Mesa to decide whether or not term limits are a good thing,” he said.

The petition is supported primarily by Vice Mayor and Councilmember Kristine Alessio, members of the La Mesa Citizens Oversight Committee and La Mesa Term Limits Committee, a political action group formed last month.

Alessio asked city council to decide whether term limits should be put on the November 2014 ballot at meetings this fall but after a vote was delayed 60 days, term limit backers moved forward with a petition and signature campaign instead. Further delay would have made direct action by citizens to qualify for the November 2014 ballot difficult, Alessio said. 

Attorney and La Mesa-Spring Valley School District board member Bill Baber filed necessary paperwork to form La Mesa Term Limits Committee with City Clerk Mary Kennedy.

Petitioners have 180 days to collect signatures that must then be certified by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.


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