Four year Council terms?

[Rob Tucker]

I was at the Charter Commission hearing on Friday. I testified for FoPF on a few proposed amendments including incorporating into the Charter the CDPs, 2% Land Preservation Fund, and Live web broadcasts of Council, commission and committee meetings.

Personally I testified that a four year term would be acceptable only if it was coupled with a liberalization of the Recall Petition requirements.

There is a separate proposal regarding Recalls which would lower the number of signatures required and make them a bit easier to acquire.

At the present for example, My voter registration might be set up in the name of Robert Tucker or Robert S. Tucker.... if i sign my name on a petition as Rob Tucker (which I normally do) the signature would not be counted because it is not identical to the voter registration signature.

Similarly if your address changes and you failed to notify voter registration you signature would not count.

So the recall process is a minefield laid to protect elected officials from the ire of the public.

I testify for balance. Increase the council terms to four years ONLY if the Recall Petition language is made more accessible.

Most others who testified are against the four year terms and had good reasons.