AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: Onondaga County adds term limit question to ballot
Brody Miller: County officials want residents to decide if local legislators should serve longer terms. Their terms are currently two years long. Regional organizer for Unite New York Riley Hart explains why the two-year terms cause issues.
Riley Hart: So as soon as they get in they have to start campaigning for their next election and they don’t like that. They want to be able to get work done.
Miller: If a majority of voters vote yes on the plan, then the county would introduce a term limit. Legislators would only be allowed to be in office for three four-year terms. Onondaga County 16th District legislator Charles Garland says not having term limits can stop real change from being made.
Charles Garland: They’ve been in office for so long it’s obvious that they become complacent. They seem to have a lack of touch with the existing issues.
Brody Miller: Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Brody Miller, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)— Onondaga County residents have the chance to spark change at the local level. This election cycle they will have the opportunity to vote on if elected officials should have term limits. Terms would also be lengthened from two years to four years if the majority votes yes. The county does not currently have a limit on how many terms can be served, which some officials believe causes issues.
“When they’ve been in office for so long, it’s obvious they become complacent. And they seem to have a lack of touch with the existing issues,” Onondaga County 16th District Legislator Charles Garland said.
Garland believes that having unlimited terms causes a lack of reliable and knowledgeable people in office. However, under this new possible plan, officials would only be allowed to be in office for three four-year terms. This would allow for more work to actually get done while in office because there would be less turnover within the legislature.
“As soon as they get in, they have to start campaigning for their next election, and they don’t like that; they want to be able to get work done,” Regional Organizer for Unite New York Riley Hart said.
Voters will decide on Tuesday, Nov. 4 2025.