Term limits bill draws opposition at public hearing

A proposed law that would put a term limits referendum on the ballot got slammed by all three speakers at a public hearing Tuesday.

The Ulster County referendum would ask voters to limit to 12 years the tenure of the county executive, comptroller and all county legislators, beginning with their next election.

Among those speaking against the idea was Dare Thompson, of the local League of Women Voters and a member of the state board of the organization.

“The League of Women Voters’ position on term limits has been very longheld — we’re against them,” Thompson said. “We have our own method of getting rid of people: We go and vote them out.”

Thompson also said redistricting is done fairly in Ulster County, “which means, we really do have a lot of flow, in and out. The races are competitive, the Legislature is pretty balanced, and that really is the way to go.

“I could understand at the federal level, where people are willing to try almost everything, but we don’t need to do that in Ulster County – and we’re against term limits at the federal level as well,” she said.

Others took aim at the financial connections behind the term limit movement, specifically Reclaim New York, a lobbying group connected with the wealthy, conservative Mercer family.

“No self-respecting Democrat should align his or herself with any Reclaim issue,” said Jane Schoenberg, a Democrat from New Paltz.

Joyce St. George, of Delaware County, said Reclaim attempted similar lobbying there. “They came to Delaware County and we chased them out,” she said. “They did the full-page ads, they did all the things that they’re doing here.”

If a referendum is approved by voters, the time already served by the affected public officials or left on current terms would not count against the limit; rather, the clock would start with the next election to the affected offices.

Ulster County Executive Michael Hein must act on the proposed local law by Oct. 20. He can veto the measure, sign it into law, or return it to the Legislature unsigned — a move that, while allowing the law to go into effect, would signal his disapproval of the measure.

If Hein were to veto the local law, it would go back to legislators, who would decide whether to allow the veto to stand, effectively killing the bill, or vote to override the executive veto. It takes the votes of two-thirds of the Legislature’s 23 members to override a veto.

The law was passed by the county Legislature, 202, with David Donaldson, D-Kingston, and Laura Petit, I-Port Ewen, voting against it. Legislator Dean Fabiano, R-Saugerties, was absent.