Measure TL, which would apply Term Limits to Santa Monica City Councilmembers, has been certified by the County Clerk for the November ballot, according to the filers.
Local residents’ group The Santa Monica Transparency Project, together with City Councilmember Sue Himmelrich, sponsored the measure.
“Term Limits will allow fresh perspectives and new ideas in our City government,” said Mary Marlow chair of The Santa Monica Transparency Project. “We have a situation now where incumbents almost automatically get re-elected for decades. They are frequently backed by wealthy special interests with business before the Council who pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into each election cycle.”
“Santa Monica will be joining our neighboring jurisdictions from L.A. City and County to Glendale, Culver City, Torrance, Santa Barbara, Redondo Beach to statewide races and the State Senate and Assembly in enacting term limits. For better, more open government, we need to end an entrenched system where incumbents have virtually lifetime tenure,” Marlow said. “In the last 25 years, only two incumbents have lost.”
Measure TL would set a limit on councilmembers of three terms, or 12 years, going forward. For more information and the text of the ballot measure go to: www.SantaMonicaTransparency.org
