POUGHKEEPSIE – By a six-to-four margin, the Government and Administration
Committee of the Dutchess County Legislature voted Thursday night to table
a proposal to impose term limits on lawmakers, the county executive and
county comptroller. Under the plan, all of those elected officials would
only be allowed to serve for 12 consecutive years.
Those who supported the measure said the issue has been discussed on
and off for years and as Democrat Hannah Black said it should have been
voted on “a while ago.”
Those who voted to table the resolution said there were too many unanswered
questions. Legislature Chairman Dale Borchert said government moves slowly
and that is so that all sides of an issue can be thoroughly vetted.
The proposal as drafted would have allowed up to six two-year terms.
Democrat Barbara Jeter-Jackson said while she supports term limits, it
might have been better to change length of terms to three years with a
four-term limit.
