02.15.21 MEETING MINUTES - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Council Monday, February 15, 2021 Page 5 In closing, let me say that I plan to vote against term limits for mayor and council members at this time. Rather than limiting their tenure by law, potential candidates should express their respective views in open forum debates. Let the voters decide whether or not to keep them in office. We are a relatively small community of about 3400 people with a pool of qualified candidates much smaller than, for example, Mayfield Heights or Solon. If voters suspect nefarious activity or activity not in the best interests of our citizens, term limits may be appropriate and should be considered. I believe the current administration is prudent and transparent. Voters always have the option of attending council meetings and participating in government. The Village provides an abundance of information online. I am confident in our leadership and I continue to remain highly optimistic about the future of Mayfield Village. Respectfully, Jean Triner and Jim Triner 829 Hanover Rd Dear Mayfield Village Neighbors, We are so fortunate to have a top-notch Mayor and great Council members who spend countless hours making sure our village is one of the best possible places in NE Ohio to live and thrive. On March 16th there are 2 ballot issues that are proposing term limits for our mayor and members of council. We feel it is in the Mayfield Village's best interest to continue to benefit from their dedication, wisdom, and experience. Thus, we urge you to protect our right to choose them in future elections by voting "NO" on Charter Amendments 1 and 2. Back in 1788, Roger Sherman, a Founding Father of the United States, in an open letter wrote "Nothing renders government more unstable than a frequent change of persons that administer it". A 2018 study by the Brookings institute highlights the real down sides that would result if these two amendments are adopted: 1. It takes away power from the voters by severely curtailing the choices of the voters. 2. The public is not best served if inexperienced members are making policy decisions with widespread, lasting effects. 3. Limits incentives for gaining policy expertise 4. It automatically kicks out effective lawmakers 5. Does little to minimize corruptive behavior and actually exacerbates it. As an example of the types of behavior outlined above, Law Director Anthony Coyne recently conveyed some of the above points in his recent Voice of the Village article. He wrote "the resident committee submitting the petitions stated they preferred to wait until the general election in 2021 for these changes to take place. Unfortunately, Ohio Constitution does not allow that kind of delay