By Dan Murphy
A new group called Yonkers Voters for Term Limits, announced that on February 28, the group is launching a citizens’ petition drive to place a referendum on the ballot in General Election in November, to restore reasonable term limits for the Mayor and Members of the City Council.
In a letter to the Yonkers community, give Yonkers residents explained that if successful, our referendum will roll back term limits to three consecutive terms for a total of 12 years in office, which is consistent with the County of Westchester term limit provision. An elected official, who exceeded the reimposed three term limit would be required to leave office.
All registered Yonkers voters will be able to sign the petition. A minimum of 5,000 signatures are required to be submitted to the City Clerk by early April, and to be placed on the ballot in November.
“We will be collecting signatures on our petition, and encourage all registered Yonkers voters, regardless of party, who support a three term limits to sign the petition. We need to deliver a minimum of 5,000 signatures to the City Clerk by early April. In the 1990s and 2000s, Yonkers voters approved and then reaffirmed a City Charter provision instituting term limits for our elected officials,” wrote Philip Zisman, John Murtagh, Caroline Stern, Susan McAnanama and Eileen O’Connor.
Zisman served as the Yonkers Inspector General from 1998-2010. Murtagh served on the City Council from 2004-2011 and ran for Mayor in 2011, losing to Mayor Mike Spano. O’Connor is a membe4r of Indivisible CD16.
In 2018 and 2022, the City Council extended term limits to permit a third term (2018), and then a fourth term last year.
Candidates for Mayor will be circulating petitions this week. 1,000 valid signatures are needed to get on the democratic primary ballot for Mayor in June. Announced candidates for Mayor including Margaret Fountain-Coleman, Prince Robinson and Corazon Pineda-Isaac. In order to be safely on the ballot, democratic mayoral candidates will need close to 2,000 signatures on their petitions, which is a significant hurdle.
Candidates for City Council, Judge and County Board of Legislators will also be circulating petitions in March.
