Millbrae puts term limit extension to voters

There isn’t a formal campaign to advocate for the measure, Mayor Anders Fung said, but on the flip side, no opposing rebuttal to it has been filed, per the city website.

Original council conversation around the ballot measure suggested an extension of up to four consecutive terms, but the City Council eventually unanimously voted to only pose a three four-year term extension to voters. 

Councilmember Ann Schneider originally advocated for the ballot measure to pose four consecutive terms to residents, citing the time it takes to understand the legislative process and build credibility on regional boards. But she’s grateful for any positive progress, she said. 

The city’s switch to district elections has also made it more challenging to find councilmembers who can act effectively within Millbrae’s restrictive term timelines, Schneider said. 

“In politics, you do compromise,” she said. “It was a compromise that got all five of us. Then my personal opinion, I do think now with districts and some of these other changes that have happened, it makes it that much harder to get people in with the skill sets right from the beginning.” 

Residents Fung has spoken to seem to understand the need for the measure and the city’s desire to be included in more leadership positions at a regional level, he said. It will take a majority vote to be enacted. 

“It takes away our ability to be able to take on a bigger role in the county. I think this is a needed change. It’s a change that will benefit Millbrae,” he said. “I do believe that 12-year, three-term limit will likely be a better balance to our community.” 

To anyone concerned that extending term limits will prevent fresh faces and ideas on the City Council, Fung pointed to the current elections cycle. Three seats are up for election, and at minimum one of them will definitively host a resident who has never before served on the council, he said. 

“To those who think Millbrae doesn’t have new faces, I think we are going to see new faces,” he said. “It’s about bringing opportunity.” 

Schneider maintained that Millbrae would benefit hugely from a greater presence on influential countywide decision-making boards. 

“If you look at a lot of the regional leadership .. .those are elected officials that have been in [politics] a long time,” she said. 

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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