Term limits proposed for Philadelphia council

Philadelphia City Councilman Wilson Goode proposed a bill that would limit the number of years a council person could serve. But the bill has precious little support among does not have the support of his colleagues.

Philadelphia City Councilman Wilson Goode proposed a bill that would limit the number of years a councilperson could serve. But the bill has precious little support among does not have the support of his colleagues.
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Councilman Goode says the city’s mayor is term-limited, the state’s governor is term-limited, and other cities across the country limit the number of years a lawmaker can serve. Goode says term limits make sense because incumbents become entrenched and new would-be legislators need a fighting chance to get elected.

But Goode has little backing from his fellow councilmembers. Seven-term Councilwoman Joan Krajewski says she must be doing something right, or voters wouldn’t keep electing her.

Krajewski: The voters have the right to elect you, we can’t tell the voters what to do.

Four-term Councilman Frank Rizzo Junior agrees.

Rizzo: After the third term, you’re a very good elected official, your fourth term, you’re as good as you are in your third term. So, it takes a few years to get rolling here.

Other Councilmembers say electing too many inexperienced members would put too much power in the hands of unelected staffers and civil servants. Goode’s bill would limit councilmembers to three consecutive four-year terms.