Dear Mayor Suzanne Jones and Mayor Pro Tem Mary Young,
On the November ballot this year, there will be a proposal for a three term limit for members of city council. We here at BBC Term Limits strongly urge you to support this proposal to limit the amount of terms that a city council member can serve in Boulder. Enacting term limits for members of Boulder City Council would promote a more democratic system, ensure greater accountability per politician, and reduce lobbyist and special interest influence. It would be a great error to not support this proposal because a lack of term limits restricts political change by keeping politicians in office who will focus more time and attention on campaigning to be reelected than they will spend writing and passing legislation that could better the lives of the citizens of Boulder.
The state of Colorado has already enacted legislation to limit the terms of state level senators, however there is currently no such legislation for Boulder City Council members. The state of Colorado has made the wise decision to have strict term limits for senate members because they believe that it makes for a more judicial system of government. Although Colorado’s state government is much greater in size than the City of Boulder’s government, the reasons for why the state government is in favor of term limits are just as applicable on a smaller scale. Not only do term limits for government members create a more diverse and fair environment within government itself, but there is overwhelming public support for term limits from both sides of the political party binary. In fact, 75% of both republicans and democrats are in favor of term limits. It is detrimental to the strength of this city’s government to be at odds with the vast majority of the population on an issue as pertinent as this.
A more democratic system of city government is what would emerge if you support this proposal and term limits are enacted. The more democratic a system is, the more success it will have. The upcoming presidential election has revealed a strong public distaste for establishment politics. The established democratic party has fallen out of favor with many would-be democrats, and the republican party is hugely divided. Term limits for Boulder City Council would provide checks and balances by keeping fresh faces in the government which reduces lobbyist and special interest influence. This would keep Boulder City Government from reaching the state that our national politics are in right now, either too established or hopelessly divided.
The lack of term limits for members of Boulder City Council is a non-partisan issue, because as stated the majority of both republicans and democrats support the regulation of term limits. That being said the benefits that would come from implementing term limits on this city’s government would positively effect the citizens of Boulder regardless of political party affiliation. A greater number of more diverse candidates would be able to run for office with limited terms. The City of Boulder is diverse in race, ethnicity, and gender, amongst other things, and the government running this city should reflect the range of diversity of the citizens. Without term limits the same people can hold office for many years. Having the same people running the city government for years on end does not promote diversity nor does it accurately portray the ever changing demographic of the civilian population.
Enacting term limits would end the cycle of career politicians running our city and make room for the citizen legislator. Citizen legislators are very important because they will have greater focus on legislation that will be beneficial to the average citizen of Boulder. Citizen legislators also will help to reduce lobbyist and special interest influence which can corrupt the democratic system of government. Those against term limits may argue that a new legislator or a citizen legislator would cause much time to be wasted on training and education and that by the time experience is being gained their term will be up. However this argument could not be any more erroneous. If a non-career politician is elected to the city council, they will be excited and ready to learn. Additionally, the three term limit that is being proposed for the November ballot provides more than enough time for those that are reelected to become highly proficient in their position.
In closing, support for limited terms for Boulder City Council members would promote a system that is more unified, reliable, diverse, and democratic at its core than it is in its current state. We urge you to support this proposal for the reasons listed as well as the hope for a stronger government and better life for the citizens of Boulder.
Sincerely,
BBC Term Limits
