Calabasas grapples with Right to Vote, term limits




Following on the heels of Thousand Oaks, which passed a similar law in July, the City of Calabasas is considering a Right to Vote initiative, a measure that requires a special election to be held any time there’s an unexpected vacancy on the City Council.

Instead of holding a special election, the City Council in January named a replacement for Jon Wolfson, who resigned before his term was up. Upset that Wolfson’s replacement— David Shapiro—was not chosen by the electorate, Old Topanga Homeowners president and community activist Jody Thomas decided to launch an initiative that would require future vacancies to be filled by election.

Thomas was one of more than 20 Calabasas residents who had applied for the job as Wolfson’s replacement. Because Thomas wasn’t chosen and Shapiro was, perhaps sour grapes came into play.

If enough signatures are gathered to put the measure on the ballot at the next city election in March 2013—and if it passes— the new law would require a special election to be held soon after a City Council vacancy occurs.

But timing is everything.

Suppose a council member vacates office only a few months before their term is up. Is it wise to spend thousands of dollars to elect someone in a special election who would have to run again in a general election only a short time later?

But if the term has, say, two or three years left, then a special election might indeed be wise. It would give voters a say.

Thomas also wants an initiative to impose term limits on the City Council. She’d limit service to two four-year terms.

While the Right to Vote initiative can be argued both ways, we feel the term limits proposal is flawed. Unlike state legislators, Calabasas City Council members aren’t career politicians who stick around for the pay. Four-term Councilmember James Bozajian brings valuable institutional knowledge to Calabasas government and to term him out of office would do a disservice to the city. Founding father Dennis Washburn, who gave 20 years of service before retiring in 2011, also provided a valuable link to the city’s past. Term limits would have denied his contributions, too.

Right to Vote, perhaps. Term limits, no.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *