O.K., So how about term limits?....

It seems now we have Supervisor Beyeler bringing up the idea of term limits for the BOS so that no one member becomes "entrenched" in the position and almost impossible to replace. And this coming from one of the so called "Good old boy" members?.....

 

Beyeler wants term limits for supervisors

By Bob Stuart

Augusta County Supervisor David Beyeler told his colleagues this past week he wants term limits for county supervisors.

With too much power accumulating in long-tenured politicians, Beyeler said he supported a three-term limit after Wednesday’s meeting.

Term limits for politicians started in ancient Greece and Rome, and today 36 states limit the terms of their governors and 15 state legislatures have term limits.

Term limits have been debated at the federal level, but have only been set for the presidency.

The director of the Virginia Association of Counties, Jim Campbell, said he knows of no Virginia counties that impose term limits.

North River District Supervisor Marshall Pattie said term limits are not necessary because County supervisors are held accountable by voters.

“There are only 10,000 people in my district,’’ said Pattie, who answers telephone calls and emails from his constituents.

“They know us and see us at church,’’ he said. “The districts are divided nonpolitically. There is a lot of opportunity for someone to run a campaign without a lot of money and win.”

Beverley Manor Supervisor David Karaffa, who sees merit in Beyeler’s suggestion, said limiting terms may result in different types of representatives serving on the board.

“For a certain amount of time, a business person could serve. Maybe the next time a farmer would be allowed to represent,” he said. Or a retired police officer or firefighter could serve, he added.

Term limits “opens the opportunity for many people from many different walks of life to represent a district,” Karaffa said

Karaffa is married, a father and works at Augusta Health as an intensive care unit nurse. He said his predecessor, Jeremy Shifflett, brought a different perspective to the board.

“Beverley Manor benefited from having Jeremy on the board prior to me,” he said. He is a farmer. My history is in the health care field. I’m married and have children.”

A political expert weighs in

Local officials cannot hide in Richmond or Washington when they serve in the community they are elected in, said Quentin Kidd, a political science professor and chairman of the department of government at Christopher Newport University.

The losses from term limits are greater than the gains, Kidd said.

“You lose institutional history and know-how, which is very difficult to replace easily,’’ he said.

He said the importance of institutional history and know-how is not outweighed by the “potential for abuse from a retrenched office holder.”

But the impact of term limits is subject to debate and conflicting opinions, said Paul Wolf, who runs the Center for Reinventing Government in New York.

Pointing to the power of incumbency, Wolf said an incumbent has a high re-election probability because incumbents can raise more money than a challenger and have access to media.

An incumbent also has an advantage because he or she generally know more about the government than a challenger because incumbents are already in office, Wolf said.

It’s not clear whether supervisors, who will first tackle staggered terms at a public hearing Sept. 26, will consider acting on Beyeler’s suggestion.