Santee has competing measures on ballot

Santee voters will consider two competing ballot measures regarding term limits — Measure Q and Measure R. The measure that gets the most votes will become law.

Measure Q, a citizens’ ballot initiative, restricts members of the City Council and the mayor to three consecutive four-year terms, where any portion of a term, whether by election or appointment, would count as a full term.

Measure R, put forth by the city in response to Measure Q, would establish a limit of three consecutive fouryear terms for City Council, regardless of which of four districts in Santee is represented; has a limit of two consecutive four-year terms for mayoral service, separate from and in addition to the term limit for City Council service; and that a partial term of more than two years will be considered a full term.

Those in favor of Measure Q include current City Councilman Stephen Houlahan who is running for mayor and Preserve Wild Santee spokesman Van Collinsworth.

They say the competing measure’s two additional terms for the mayor sets up a potential 20-year career on City Council, and “water(s) down” the citizens’ initiative.

“Term limits in San Diego and at the Board of Supervisors are two 4-year terms,” write proponents Houlahan and Collinsworth in their ballot argument. “Our initiative grants a third term to take advantage of experience while limiting the ability to entrench corrosive special interest relationships.

“The key to a well-run city is not an entrenched City Council. It is a quality city manager and city staff overseen by competent citizens serving limited terms in the public interest. Politicians who spend too much time in office stop representing us.”

City Councilman Rob McNelis, Assemblyman Randy Voepel and the Santee Term Limits Committee say they support the City Council majority backed Measure R over Measure Q.