Number of terms on council should be restricted

Letter to Simcoe.com Nov 04, 2010
Re: Council must engage public to raise voter turnout, Oct. 28 — Your editorial is both timely and necessary for an issue that must engage all residents who wish to be active participants in their community.

Shopping, playing and working in the community are insignificant when the residents fail to register their concerns on how the community is governed and how their hard earned tax dollars are spent.
It is through the ballot that citizens both hold to account and rein in the inevitable self interests of both the elected and staff members of government.
I believe if there were restrictions on the number of terms any one person can hold an office, there would be greater participation by the residents in standing for office, encouraging others to stand and voter turnout.
When councils have members who have held a position for many terms, others who believe only people who are experienced can govern and others congratulated for serving for decades, it is not unreasonable for residents to feel disenfranchised, not vote and neither stand for office themselves nor encourage others to do so.
Just as freedom requires responsibility, democracy requires fairness and equality and confidence that all residents of a community can participate in government.
When elected officials continue in positions indefinitely, it elicits apathy and grudges.
During this most recent campaign, some candidates who were incumbents, as part of their campaigns, stated only an experienced office holder is able to perform the duties properly.
When people who have held the post for several terms believe they are serving the community in the best way they know how, the principles of democracy are being thwarted by self-interest.
If politicians cannot do the right thing and limit their office holding to no more than two terms, then legislation is required to discipline the operations of democracy, just as we believe the market requires outside discipline.
This paper advocated for residents to seek office and that without competition, we are all losers.
Perhaps this paper can now advocate various ways past and future office holders can still contribute to the community without holding an office.
For one, this resident cannot believe only people who hold office contribute to their community and their motive is only public spirit.
Jim Devin
Bradford