Making every day count
Yorba Lindans who agree with the ordinance restricting City Council service to three four-year terms might be surprised to learn the term-limit clock hasn’t started ticking for eighth-term veteran Hank Wedaa—and won’t unless he’s elected to a full term next year.
The voter-approved ordinance says a person is “ineligible to hold office as a member of the City Council if that person has served in the office for three full terms,” but the limit only applies “to terms of office beginning after the effective date of the ordinance….”
And the ordinance’s effective date was Dec. 13, 1996, according to the Dec. 3, 1996, council meeting minutes and a note on the municipal code section of the city Web site.
Since Wedaa was installed for his seventh term on Dec. 3, 1996, his 28 years on the council from 1970-1994 and 1996-2000 don’t count for the three full term limitation.
The 18-month term for which Wedaa took the oath of office on June 19 also doesn’t count, since the ballot-designated “short term” isn’t a “full term” under the ordinance.
The law’s only exception—“a person appointed to a vacant office for an unexpired term of more than one-half the original term shall be deemed to have served a full term”—doesn’t affect Wedaa because he was elected, not appointed, to his shortened term.
Wedaa, who turned 83 on Feb. 15, already announced he intends to seek re-election next year, and if he’s successful, the 12-year limitation will begin with his ninth term in 2008.
Maybe Wedaa’s second return to the council will start a trend of past members seeking to reclaim their old seats; and if so, most are eligible for three full terms, while the others could serve two more terms, assuming they lived in Yorba Linda.
Besides Wedaa, 13 surviving council members elected prior to 1998 could serve 12 more years, including Mike Beverage, Rudy Castro, Dale Chaput, Rob Cromwell, Carolyn Ewing, Irwin Fried, Doug Groot, Barbara Kiley, Ron McRoberts, Todd Murphy, Bill Ross, Mark Schwing and Dan Welch.
Five-termer Gene Wisner could serve 12 more years because he resigned in 1999, before his last term was scheduled to end. Eligible for eight more years are Mike Duvall, who resigned before his second term ended, and John Gullixson, Ken Ryan and Keri Wilson, who were elected to only one full term after 1996.
Current council members Allen Castellano and Jim Winder are eligible for one more term, while John Anderson and Jan Horton can serve two more terms, assuming they remain in office for full terms.
A FINAL NOTE
Hank Wedaa is the only council member to return to office after two voluntary hiatuses, which lasted from 1994 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2007.
Other council members re-elected after a self-imposed layoff include Roland Bigonger (out of office 1972-1986), Whit Cromwell (1972-1974) and Gene Wisner (1992-1994).
The voter-approved ordinance says a person is “ineligible to hold office as a member of the City Council if that person has served in the office for three full terms,” but the limit only applies “to terms of office beginning after the effective date of the ordinance….”
And the ordinance’s effective date was Dec. 13, 1996, according to the Dec. 3, 1996, council meeting minutes and a note on the municipal code section of the city Web site.
Since Wedaa was installed for his seventh term on Dec. 3, 1996, his 28 years on the council from 1970-1994 and 1996-2000 don’t count for the three full term limitation.
The 18-month term for which Wedaa took the oath of office on June 19 also doesn’t count, since the ballot-designated “short term” isn’t a “full term” under the ordinance.
The law’s only exception—“a person appointed to a vacant office for an unexpired term of more than one-half the original term shall be deemed to have served a full term”—doesn’t affect Wedaa because he was elected, not appointed, to his shortened term.
Wedaa, who turned 83 on Feb. 15, already announced he intends to seek re-election next year, and if he’s successful, the 12-year limitation will begin with his ninth term in 2008.
Maybe Wedaa’s second return to the council will start a trend of past members seeking to reclaim their old seats; and if so, most are eligible for three full terms, while the others could serve two more terms, assuming they lived in Yorba Linda.
Besides Wedaa, 13 surviving council members elected prior to 1998 could serve 12 more years, including Mike Beverage, Rudy Castro, Dale Chaput, Rob Cromwell, Carolyn Ewing, Irwin Fried, Doug Groot, Barbara Kiley, Ron McRoberts, Todd Murphy, Bill Ross, Mark Schwing and Dan Welch.
Five-termer Gene Wisner could serve 12 more years because he resigned in 1999, before his last term was scheduled to end. Eligible for eight more years are Mike Duvall, who resigned before his second term ended, and John Gullixson, Ken Ryan and Keri Wilson, who were elected to only one full term after 1996.
Current council members Allen Castellano and Jim Winder are eligible for one more term, while John Anderson and Jan Horton can serve two more terms, assuming they remain in office for full terms.
A FINAL NOTE
Hank Wedaa is the only council member to return to office after two voluntary hiatuses, which lasted from 1994 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2007.
Other council members re-elected after a self-imposed layoff include Roland Bigonger (out of office 1972-1986), Whit Cromwell (1972-1974) and Gene Wisner (1992-1994).
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
<< Home