Dublin City Council put a measure to the vote on Tuesday that features good government reforms and an extension to term limits.
It's a shame they couldn't accommodate the voters on the term limits component. Voters should reject Measure JJ. The local council should try again at the following election – but be on the forefront with the voters.
The measure's provisions include prohibiting council members from accepting gifts from city contractors or lobbyists and prohibiting lobbyists from serving on city commissions. It would require town to post monthly financial reports and most city contracts on its website before the council decides. All good things — even though it's not clear that a ballot measure was needed to make them occur.
And then there’s the term limits provision, described within the language of the vote as follows: “A combined term limit of 12 years for the Mayor and/or City Council members is implemented, while maintaining the existing term limits for the current Mayor and City Council members.” .”
However, it is just not made clear that this may mean an extension of an individual's term as elected mayor or council member from eight consecutive years to 12 consecutive years.
The idea is sweet. And council members deserve praise for not applying the rise to themselves, unlike, for instance, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board's self-serving and fraudulent move in 2022 to persuade voters to approve the same measure.
Regrettably, despite the federal government's integrity intentions in drafting the measure, Dublin City Council has not followed through on its words and provided a transparent ballot measure.
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