Yes on Ballot Measure C
ARGUMENT FORRancho Palos Verdes is blessed with a tremendously talented, educated, successful, and capable population from which to draw our volunteer - elected city council members. Over the past several years, many of our residents have expressed a desire to see the process for seeking elected office in our city ‘opened up’ to provide realistic opportunities for election to city council, thus taking advantage of our resident talent base and encouraging more neighborhood leaders to run for city council. Measure C is a proven fair and equitable term limits initiative that will facilitate periodic open seats on our city council, while at the same time allowing any resident who completes 2 consecutive terms (8 years) to further serve the community in the future after sitting out one election. The current election process heavily favors incumbents and dis-incentivizes many of the outstanding resident volunteers who serve our community on city commissions, committees, task forces, homeowner associations, and many other volunteer organizations from seeking to lead our community on city council. Citizens of numerous other neighboring communities have recognized the value of reasoned and logical term limits for their city council members and have approved similar term limit ballot initiatives during the past decade, including Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Long Beach, Gardena, and Los Angeles. Only 20 residents in the 30-year history of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes have had the opportunity to lead their fellow residents as elected council members. We can do better! In passing Measure C we will be providing a greater incentive and opportunity for our outstanding talented fellow residents to lead us on city council in the future. VOTE YES on MEASURE C! Larry
Clark |
REBUTTAL The fact that other cities have imposed term limits is not relevant to RPV. Divisive issues within these cities led to term limits. Los Angeles has even tried to split into two cities. Rancho Palos Verdes has been consistently a city with issues that are aired publicly and resolved in the public’s interest. Since incorporation Rancho Palos Verdes has supported experience and dedication in council members. While only 20 people have served as council members, the number of talented people seeking office has not diminished. 87 people have run for office and there are seven seeking three seats in the current election. There is no dearth of talent willing to run. When the council asked you what you thought about term limits, more of you responded with a NO. That is one reason that the undersigned did not want to spend your money on the ballot measure at a time when we had to severely trim the budget. It has been proven false that our election process heavily favors incumbents because of the open government that we enjoy. In the last election a two-term incumbent lost her seat to the proponent of Measure “C.” Very good advice from the sages: If it isn’t broken don’t fix it! Vote to keep choice! Vote NO on Measure “C.” We don’t need “C” in RPV! Barbara Ferraro, Mayor Pro Tem John McTaggart, Councilman |