Four City Council committees have decided three consecutive four-year terms are better than two for elected officials.
It’s an issue that hardly has everyone in agreement, though.
Tommy Hazouri called it a “bad bill” the public would resoundingly defeat if it lands on a ballot this year.
During Monday’s Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee, he wanted a different approach: staggered term limits.
Split the council into two pools somehow. Have elections every two years. The Duval County School Board, his stop before council, has that system.
Swapping the language proved too difficult Monday, so Hazouri backed off for now.
Reggie Gaffney couldn’t support any extension.
Throughout TEU and the Finance Committee, Gaffney maintained dedicating the effort toward passing a half-cent sales tax extension to solve pension issues was more important.
Mayor Lenny Curry has been pushing for that in the Legislature and it could be on a ballot later this year.
The two were on the other side of the 4-2 vote in TEU. Gaffney, along with Aaron Bowman and John Crescimbeni, were in the minority of a 4-3 vote in Finance earlier Monday.
The results were the same for two committee meetings two weeks ago.
Extending the term limits for not only council but the mayor, sheriff and constitutional officers was seen more positively by others.
“Having term limits as an idea that everything gets better is ridiculous,” said Bill Gulliford.
He won’t be running for a third term, should the idea come to pass. But he said the longer he’s been a council member, the more effective he’s become.
Two constitutional officers agreed with that sentiment Monday.
Property Appraiser Jerry Holland, a former longtime supervisor of elections, said national and state certifications in the elections role took almost eight years — the length of two consecutive terms. Term limits and turnover hurt Duval County’s standing in state associations, he said.
With the exception of Orange County’s 16-year limit for supervisor, constitutional officers in Florida don’t have term limits.
Tax Collector Michael Corrigan, a former two-term council member, agreed with Holland.
Throughout both committees, several officials favored staggered terms over extending limits, much like Hazouri tried to swap.
However, council Vice President Lori Boyer said a consolidation task force she chaired went against that decision on purpose.
Elections every two years would mean continuous campaigns, which could affect how some members vote on taxes and budget, she warned.
She used the example of council passing a property tax increase in recent years to fill massive budget holes. Would campaigning council members have made such tough decisions?
“I think it changes council’s ability to do business that’s presented,” she said.
Hazouri said he plans to bring a staggered-term bill back up.
And, as for Gaffney’s concern about the pension issue, a Boyer amendment alleviated some concerns.
Any initiative seeking to enhance term limits won’t be on the same ballot as extending a half-cent sales tax to pay the city’s pension liabilities of nearly $2.7 billion. There are two opportunities for ballots this fall — a primary in August and general election in November. The sales tax takes precedent and would bump the term-limit idea to the other.
Council is expected to have a final vote on the issue next week.
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