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 legislators, the county executive and county comptroller. Under the plan, they 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. Democrat Hannah Black said it should have been voted on “a while ago,” long before now.
“We’re taking this at a snail rate or a glacier rate,” Black said.
Those who voted to table the resolution said there were too many unanswered questions. Legislature Chairman Dale Borchert, a Republican, said government moves slowly and that is so that all sides of an issue can be thoroughly vetted.
“The only reason to do this now is so that they can say they did this before this upcoming election,” Borchert said. “There is no other reason to do that. This is something that should be thought about, discussed, debated, considered, talk to the public, public hearing.”
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.
