City Council member John Crescimbeni dug out a 25-year relic in preparation for a final vote Tuesday on term limits.
A bright orange sign that simply stated in block letters: “Support the two-term limit for City Council.”
Council member Matt Schellenberg for months had pushed to extend that to three consecutive terms, but Tuesday the push ended for now.
After passing four committees last month, Schellenberg withdrew his bill.
If it had passed — and he believed it had the votes — the decision would have been left up to voters in the summer or fall.
But it also might have competed with a half-cent sales tax extension referendum that Mayor Lenny Curry and others want to pay down $2.7 billion in pension liabilities.
Schellenberg said he didn’t want there to be any conflict or distraction — all efforts needed to go toward pitching the sales tax extension to voters.
Schellenberg said it wasn’t the right time or place to pursue the referendum.
Earlier in the day, he said when he talks to people in his Mandarin district, he hasn’t been talking term limits, just the pension fix. Coupled with how well the effort in Tallahassee has gone, he said he made the decision in the past week.
Crescimbeni supported “not cluttering” the ballot and said if voters felt strongly about extending term limits, they should bring the issue back up — much like they did in the early 1990s when they capped term limits at two consecutive terms.
Council member Bill Gulliford disagreed, saying a consolidation task force recommended the idea and Duval County is the only one, with the exception of Orange County, with term limits for constitutional officers.
Those positions and the mayor were later added to Schellenberg’s bill as an amendment.
“I do hope it comes back,” said Gulliford.
Schellenberg said he appreciated support, but the timing just isn’t right. His colleagues agreed, supporting the withdrawal unanimously.
Crescimbeni put away the sign — for now.
(904) 356-2466