Coral Springs commission members took a step toward setting a lifetime term limit for their positions and doubling mayoral term limits on Wednesday.
The current term limit for Coral Springs mayors and commissioners is eight consecutive years. Mayors currently serve two-year terms, and commissioners serve four-year terms. Despite the limits on consecutive terms, there is no lifetime term limit.
Commission members on Wednesday unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance that could ultimately set a new term of service for the mayor – from two to four years – and establish a 16-year lifetime limit for mayors and commissioners. If the commission passes the ordinance on second reading, a ballot question on the issue will be put to Coral Springs voters in November.
If a majority of voters approve the ballot question, the new term limits would be set.
The term limit ballot question was crafted following a recommendation from the city’s Charter Review Committee.
Commissioner Joy Carter said the current two-year mayoral term limit has been difficult for those in the job.
“If you have to [stand for election as] mayor every two years, you are effectively running for that seat every year, and it’s very stressful,” Carter said.
Commissioner Joshua Simmons, who has pushed for the term limit changes, said of the mayoral job: “I think we want to have [more] time in that office, and people being able to be good at the job and learn the job, instead of, ‘you get in for one year and all of a sudden, I’ve got to turn around and run again.’ And I think that’s unfair to our citizenry.”
Simmons said of the proposed commissioner term limits: “We want to make sure we keep refreshing and bringing in new people and giving other folks in the city an opportunity to serve and to learn how to keep their city how they want it to be.”
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