The La Palma City Council has approved a motion to spend up to $50,000 of taxpayer funds to pay a consultant to help them have a conversation with their constituents about ending term limits in the city.
In a special meeting last week, Mayor Marshall Goodman and Council member Nitesh Patel questioned whether there were enough quality candidates to keep the city running smooth after they termed out. Therefore, they are proposing a series of community meetings to “have a dialog” with residents.
“For me, it’s a pretty long-standing issue,” said Goodman. “We have to do something about city leadership,” said Goodman. The mayor, who is termed out this year, said he was not proposing a dialog with constituents to benefit himself.
“I see things up here on the dais,” said Goodman, who said he feels compelled to bring them forward.
“I ran unopposed, and I didn’t go out and threaten anybody or anything like that,” said Goodman, “it’s just that no one ran in the election from my first term. Based on that and the lack of recruits signing up to go through its Citizens Academy, Goodman suggested it may be time to rethink term limits.
“I would love to know why citizens in 1996 decided to impose term limits,” said Goodman. “It really doesn’t make sense to limit it to two terms,” the mayor said. Three or four terms would make more sense for what he termed a “micro” city such as La Palma.
“That’s why I want to have a dialog with our residents,” the Mayor said. “Having a seat at the table would mean a lot for a “micro” city such as La Palma, said Goodman. He and Patel both suggested that longer terms would allow local officials who are serving in advisory roles to outside agencies to serve at higher levels and bring value to the city.
Patel, who in 2019 briefly put together an effort to study term limits, said he listened to what citizens wanted then, but perhaps things have changed since the pandemic in 2020.
Patel suggested, without citing evidence, that the overall candidate pool could shrink because the city has now switched to single-member districts.
“I think times and circumstances have changed since 2019,” said Patel. ?When the city elected officials on an at-large basis,” he said, the “pool” of candidates was seemingly larger. Now that the city has elected to transition to by-district elections, “it’s going to be hard to be able to find people in certain districts.”
“And if someone like Mayor Goodman is willing to serve, he can’t,” because he terms out in 2024, the Council member said. Patel terms out in 2026.
“I also think it is prudent to have that discussion with our residents,” said Patel.
Patel even suggested that if Goodman were not term-limited, and allowed to continue to serve, he might one day be elected Chair of the California League of Cities.
Courtesy photo
Council members from every municipality are offered seats on boards of outside agencies such as OCFA and the state’s League of Cities. Prestigious they are, but most are little more than ceremonial positions.
However, Patel brought up cities like Stanton, and Buena Park where members can serve more terms on their Councils, therefore give them more fraternal time to theoretically climb the ladder to compete for higher ranking positions on these bodies.
“The first four years when you get elected, you’re just learning and I think our new council member can attest to that, pointing to Council member Janet Keo Conklin. “And during the next four years (another term), you’re trying to make an impact on these boards,” he said.
“But you have four years and then you’re done,” said Patel. Most of the people that I’ve seen, even in neighboring cities like Buena Park or Stanton, get three or more terms so then they can end up being the chair (of these external organizations),” he said.
Pointing to Goodman, Patel said “I could tell you the man sitting next to me (Goodman), if he had another four more years, I could say pretty confidently that he’d be the president of the California League of Cities.”
Former Mayor and currently Mayor Pro-tem, Mark Waldman, expressed skepticism. Waldman served two terms, sat out a term, and is now re-elected to the Council, a process which is currently allowed by the city’s two-term limit.
“It needs to be mentioned that the city has been well run under the existing two term limit,” Waldman informed Goodman and Patel. “I’d have to be pretty well convinced that the residents have changed their mind before I go against what eighty percent of residents approved in 1996,” he said.
“I don’t think that the system is quite as onerous (as suggested),” said Waldman. “Moving to districts has caused some issues, but we’re having our first election on districts this year, so I don’t know if it’s right yet to declare big problems for residents,” said Waldman.
By an overwhelming margin of more than 80 percent, La Palma voters approved a referendum in 1996 to limit La Palma Council members to serving two, four-year terms. Currently, there are no lifetime limits, meaning a standing council member can serve two terms, sit out a term, then run again.
Newly elected Council member Janet Keo Conklin said she already sees some value in leading external governmental and “I recognized what you are trying to achieve,” she said.
Most cities in the area like Seal Beach, Cypress, and Los Alamitos all have two-term limits and there is no reason to believe La Palma voters have changed their minds, said former Council member Keith Nelson, who wondered incredulously why term limits was back on the agenda.
“What are you talking about,” asked Nelson, wanting to know if the city was planning to ask voters to approve a term limit ban this year, in 2026 or when? “I’m just curious, when is your target date,” he wondered?
As a former Council member, Nelson said he served during the period when voters approved term limits, explaining a similar move began by members who wanted to continue serving beyond their two terms.
He said the city was present at a series of community meetings back then, but took no position on the issue. “And that’s important, because if it comes from you (City Council), that means you’re taking a position, it’s not neutral, so be careful with that.”
The idea of eight years (of service) is a tradition, it’s something the citizens voted 80/20 to approve in 1996,” he added. “Your concern about being on other committees, while it is a valid point, it doesn’t take eight years to become skilled at what you need to do. I don’t think making the change for change sake is appropriate,” said Nelson.
“And if it’s going to cost, and since you’re going to bring in a consultant, we’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars. I would implore you not to waste our citizens’ money on some survey,” he added.
Local activist Robert Caruth was even more blunt with the Council.
“I looked at five different national polls and 87 percent of citizens support term limits,” said Caruth, “As has already been stated, 80 percent of La Palma voted in 1996 for the current term limits we have,” he added. Our residents are not asking to discuss term limits, said Caruth.
In 2022, when Council members in Cerritos attempted to remove their two term limit, voters reaffirmed it with 80 percent in favor of keeping the limits, he said. In addition, “their little selfish ploy backfired” as voters came back and made it a two-term lifetime limit.
Caruth said he may now seek to get a two-term lifetime limit on the ballot. He said when the effort in 2019 threatened the two term limit, residents responded qiuckly. “Fortunately, residents responded with a grassroots campaign to protect our term limits and turned out to oppose the effort,” he said. “Now here you are, beating that same old tired drum you did four years ago.”“The originators of these study sessions are the council members who stand to benefit from expanding term limits. If you discuss anything, it should be to strengthen term limits,” he added.
“If you can’t get what you need to get done in eight years,” said Caruth, “maybe you’re in the wrong seat.”
The Council voted 5-0 to allow city manager Conal McNamara to spend up to $50,000 to engage a consulting firm to help the elected officials speak to their consitutents.