According to San Diego County Board of Supervisors member Jim Desmond, a plan is moving quickly to put a measure on the ballot this November that would extend term limits, and make the job of Chief Administrative Officer an elected position. The decision could be made as early as April.
Desmond believes that a Board Supervisor’s job should be limited to two terms. By extending term limits to three, public service becomes full-time political work, he said. Similarly, converting a high level executive staff position into an elected one makes that job political.
In 2010, 68% voters decided to impose term-limits on county supervisors. No one could serve more than two terms. The current crop of Supervisors, however, now want to extend term limits from two to three. Desmond points out that the people who will gain the most are those whose terms are about to end.
The benefits of the current system is that when leaders change, ideas stay new, and power doesn’t stay in a few hands, the government works best, he added. The opposite is true when term limits are raised.
Desmond also expressed reservations about turning the post of Chief Administrative Officer into an elected one. The chief operating officer (COO) should be a boss, not a politician. Making that job an elected position, said Desmond, adds politics to daily tasks and decreases responsibility instead of increasing it. In effect, a large portion of the COO’s time and attention would be diverted to things like having to campaign, raise money, and run for re-election.
In 2010, the voters were clear in their mandate, said Desmond. “I plan to obey that, and when this idea goes before the Board, I will be against it.”