Azar News Conference - 11am January 20, 2010
Term Limits
Before any change in our system of governance is discussed, the limits of the terms of governance should and must be addressed. Most obviously, the greatest impediment to the progress of our city is excessively long terms of office. Politicians get stale and lose the motivation that propelled them into office in the first place. Unfortunately, as their term progresses, their power and influence increases, often in ways contrary to the benefit of the public they are sworn to serve. Cronyism and corruption come with increasing term lengths, and progress and good governance is impeded.
This is something that the military knows and works to minimize. Note how often a base commander is replaced. Our own Ft. Jackson is a good example. We see a turnover there every two to four years. By turning over commanders, the staleness of leadership is reduced, along with any excessive power build up that can lead to poor morale and lack of new ideas and innovation.
These problems we have seen for years in Columbia, for once Columbia was a leader in the southeast. In the '70s, Columbia was the equal of Charlotte and Atlanta, and we were the model that those cities looked to, as acknowledged in newspaper articles of the time. Even as recently as the '90s, Columbia was the superior of Greenville.
But look at us now in comparison. We lag greatly behind these three cities. We've lost our drive, our energy, our momentum. We've become stale and complacent. Our elected officials are lethargic and uninspired; they've lost motivation. They simply serve too long.
It is time to change this, well before we attempt to change our system of mayor and council, for if we allow unlimited terms, no matter the system, we will still have the same problems. It is not the type of system, but the people in it who make the difference. So we must ensure that we get new leaders with fresh ideas and renewed energy if we are to move this city forward expediently, and we must ensure that no politician gets so entrenched that good governance is pushed aside.
A referendum on term limits must come first, and I am suggesting 4 different types of term limits for the voters to choose among.
1) Two terms total in any position.
2) Three terms total in any position.
3) Two terms each in each of the three positions, a total of 24 years.
4) Two terms any position, then off one election cycle. No total limit.
Having a mayor with greatly increased power and no limits could be very destructive to our city should we have someone without the good of the people at heart. There are some exceptions to the old adage, "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely," but as we can see in local, state and national politics, not many. Therefore, it is up to us, the citizens, to ensure that we reduce the possibility of a change in government that could do more to hurt us than to help us, before we make that change.
I an also suggesting that, before we make any mayor-council changes, we assemble a committee of citizens to review our city codes for errors, out-of-date laws, and needed corrections and additions. From observing council meetings, it is obvious that some of our laws are not clear or current, and some are not being enforced. It would be better to review our laws now before any changes so that a new system can come into a clean set of laws current and relevant to the city today and to the times in which we live.
For instance, council could not come to a complete agreement about what a parade permit is/is not when discussing the PETA request for a parade permit. It was sent to the legal department for clarification and rewriting. Another example can be found in city code, which renders many bars and restaurants in violation of city code, and therefore illegal. But it is a useless law as it does nothing to protect anyone. It would be wise to clean up these and other problems in our city laws before trying to change the overall system. Who truly knows what problems may arise if we do not analyze these laws before we change?
Finally, I would suggest that we have a representative council. For about two decades, 57% of council has been comprised of attorneys. Now, we still have an overrepresentation of lawyers on council, currently 43%. I am not sure that any method that would restrict the number and type of persons to serve would be legal, but I am certain that having half of city council as lawyers has done nothing to advance our city. I am confident that all citizens, particularly competent lawyers, would agree.
It is time to open discussion on term limits, allowing input by all Columbia citizens. And before we discuss changing our overall system of governance, it is wise to review and update our city ordinances so that any system of governance can be more effective.
I believe term limits are a very important part in the discussion of city governance. As your mayor, I will work for a referendum on term limits, one either initiated by city council or by citizen petition.