From today's (10/26/19) UCO Reporter (November 2019
issue)
Petition
on Term Limits
“Proponents believe term
limits will make it easier for new candidates to run.
Opponents do not want to
keep experienced officers from running.”
On three counts – election slates, CV
Bylaws, the Delegate Assembly - the first sentence is a
questionable, if not mistaken, rationale for term limits.
First: Election Slates. Term limits or
no term limits, elections for President and Vice-President have
always been a game of musical chairs: more candidates than seats. The
Delegates rescinded term limits in March, 2013. Our Village Blog has
a search box allowing access to past UCO Reporters. In 2010 and 2012,
elections with term limits had three candidates for President.
Our last election, in 2018, without term limits, had, guess
what, three candidates for President.
For the two Vice-President positions,
term limits, 2010 and 2012, 5 and 3 candidates, respectively;
2016 and 2018, no term limits, 6 and 4. Ironically, without
term limits, more Veep candidates ran than with! And there have been
multiple candidates for corresponding secretary, recording
secretary, and treasurer. Conclusion: the absence of term limits has
not stopped multiple new candidates from contesting for positions.
Second, CV Bylaws already make
candidacy easy. All a resident owner need do is say five words to
the Election Committee: “I am running for office”. That's it.
This brief declaration guarantees, along with all the other
candidates – challenger or incumbent - your mug shot and resume in
the Reporter, a seat at the Candidates' Forum, and your name on the
ballot, alphabetically listed – not by seniority or service.
Third, UCO already has an efficient
term limiter – or term lengthener: the Delegate Assembly. This
group interacts with incumbents and challengers before, during, and
after Assemblies, at forums and Town Halls, committee meetings, and
office hours – twenty a week. Consequently, the delegates are able
to assess, and vote for, the most competent contestant, be that
person challenger or incumbent.
In summary, then, for Century Village,
term limits are not only detrimental – keeping experienced members
from running – but unnecessary: new members are always saying the
five magic words that make them candidates.
Richard Handelsman