McKinney City Council members tabled a proposal to place longer term limits for themselves on the city’s May ballot after citizens overwhelmingly opposed the idea, but the council may consider putting the issue to voters in November.
The council’s proposed city charter amendment would have allowed the mayor and the city council members to hold their seats for three consecutive four-year terms, an increase from the current limit of two consecutive terms.
If the charter change had been approved by voters in May, Mayor George Fuller would have been able to run for mayor again when his second term ends in May 2025.
Fuller floated the idea at a city council work session last month.
All nine citizens who spoke during Tuesday night’s McKinney City Council meeting opposed the proposed term-limit extension.
McKinney resident Tom Michero said that without term limits, “the same leaders keep getting elected.”
“Is that what we want here? I don’t think so,” Michero told council members.
“The voters of 2011 answered that question for us,” he said, referring to the city’s charter change that set the current term limits. “They could see that the city was growing and anticipated the power play that was coming.”
They came up with a system that kept experienced, qualified people serving on the council for 24 years, but they limited the time anyone could spend in the same office to eight years. That’s a brilliant way to leverage experience and keep entrenched power at bay.
“Our system does not need to be changed. Our charter does not need to be changed. It will continue to serve McKinney well, and those who would try to change it for their own benefit in an election known for low turnout are exactly the people that the 2011 charter was protecting us from,” Michero added.
“Several years ago, along with a lot of concerned citizens, we put in a lot of time and effort to get the two terms,” said Mike Giles, a grassroots conservative leader in the McKinney community.
Giles said he totally opposes extending the term limits but any public vote on the issue should be in November, not May.
In November 2021, voters in nearby Allen rejected longer terms limits for city officials, 57-43 percent, with about 13 percent voter turnout. Participation will be significantly higher during a November presidential election.
McKinney resident Don Silver noted Tuesday night that “two four-year terms were enough for George Washington.”
During council’s discussion, Fuller said he believes “the ballot box is the best form of term limits.”
“I really don’t give a damn about term limits right now,” he added, suggesting that any discussion on term limits be held ahead of the November election, when there will be larger voter turnout.
Fuller also said that he had not asked for the term limits proposal to be placed on the agenda and had never stated that he wants to run for a third term as mayor.
“There’s only a handful of things that would cause me to want to run again if it was an option,” he said.
Councilmembers Geré Feltus and Rick Franklin said they had put the term-limit extension proposal on the agenda.
On Fuller’s motion, council voted 6-1 to table the proposal “indefinitely,” with Feltus casting the lone “no” vote.
August 19 is the deadline for city council to put the charter amendment proposal on the November 5 ballot.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, council members voted unanimously to place a $485 million bond package on the May 4 ballot.
McKinney residents can contact council members regarding city policies and proposals.
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