(The Center Square) — Lawmakers in an upstate New York county will be limited to 12 years in office under a measure overwhelmingly approved by voters.
In Tuesday’s elections, voters in Onondaga County approved a ballot question that increases legislative terms from two to four years but limits service to three consecutive terms, or 12 years. The measure passed with 71% of the vote, according to preliminary results.
The nonpartisan group Unite NY, which works to improve voter access and government, said term-limiting county legislators “will bring fresh voices, new perspectives, and more accountability to local government.” Currently, there are no limits on how long county lawmakers can serve.
“All too often, state and local governments in New York preserve the status quo and serve those in power rather than those they are supposed to represent,” Martin Babinec, the group’s founder and board member, said in a statement. “But our politics don’t have to be that way.”
He said Onondaga County legislators, who voted to put the question on the ballot, “have proven, by taking this bold, bipartisan step to bring term limits to the county legislature, that they are committed to improving our democracy and creating a better path forward.”
Term limits are one of Unite NY’s Five Pillars of Reform, according to Branbec, who said the group is also focused on ranked choice voting, citizen ballot initiatives, open primaries and better ballot access.
“These reforms together would give citizens more choices, ensure accountability, and make our government more responsive to the people it serves,” he said.
Approval of the measure came as Democrats swept nearly every contested seat of the Onondaga County Legislature in Tuesday’s election, giving them control of the governing body for the first time and a half century.
Democrats now have a 10 to 7 majority in the county legislature after flipping at least five seats, according to the unofficial results.
