Proponents say the measure assures skilled leaders are not forced out of office too early. The opponents say the measure is an attempt at a “power grab” by the City Council.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
Malibu voters will be asked to decide on Tuesday whether they want to extend the amount of time a person can serve on the City Council from two four-year terms to three four-year terms. The proposal comes in the form of Measure U, an item approved for the ballot by the City Council in a 5-0 vote earlier this year.
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, who proposed the measure, said she came up with the idea in December when then-City Manager Katie Lichtig announced she was leaving. At the time, it was unknown if Mayor Andy Stern and Councilmember Sharon Barovsky would run for reelection and Mayor Pro Tem Ken Kearsley and Councilmember Jeff Jennings will be termed-out in 2008 under the current city law.
“You had an issue where in two more years, there would be a lack of institutional memory,” said Conley Ulich, who said she preferred the proposal be for no term limits at all, but had been willing to compromise.
Conley Ulich said term limits are undemocratic because they prevent people from being able to vote for whomever they want and she said it harms the city by forcing skilled leaders out of office.
Measure U sparked fierce opposition from former Planning Commissioner Richard Carrigan, who has led the campaign against the proposal that he called “all about power.” Opposition to the measure has also brought former Mayor Jeff Kramer and former Planning Commissioner Deirdre Roney out of political retirement.
Kramer said he became involved in the campaign because he felt Measure U was unnecessary since Malibu voters in 2000 approved a two-term limit by nearly a two-thirds margin. Kramer said the only reason why this item is on the ballot is because the current council wants to allow Jennings and Kearsley to run in 2008, the first year the 2000-approved term limits law will go into effect.
“The Malibu voters already made a statement in 2000 and the law hasn’t even had a chance to take effect,” Kramer said. “I think a two-term limit is fair and reasonable and is in the best interest of the city.”
But Conley Ulich said the demographics of Malibu have changed since 2000, and the new voters might have a different view on the issue.
Conley Ulich disputed the idea that the motivation behind the measure was to keep the current council members in power. Jennings also slammed that argument, and suggested the opponents of Measure U fear its passage would allow him to run again, although he said he was not sure if he would do it anyway.
“They, Richard Carrigan and Ted Vaill, want to be on the council so bad, they can taste it,” Jennings said. “They would rather not have to run against Ken or me. I can sympathize with that.”
Carrigan said he had no interest in running for council.