After Amendment 17 was approved by voters in 1994, district attorneys and many other elected officials were limited to serving only two consecutive terms. If you were in office in 1994, you could run for and, if elected, serve another consecutive term. Alex Hunter served as our District Attorney from 1973 to 2001. Charlotte Houston served as Boulder County Clerk and Recorder from 1977 to 2002.
In 2009 voters approved by a dozen votes (!) 1D to allow our DA to serve 3 consecutive terms. (See – your vote does matter, especially in local elections.) This year the county commissioners are asking the electorate to allow the DA to serve 4 consecutive terms. Their resolution points out that Amendment 17 in 1994 did not get majority support in Boulder County.
A district attorney’s term is 4 years. Amendment 17 considered terms to be consecutive unless they are 4 years apart. If a DA becomes unable to serve while in office, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until a successor is elected at the next general election.
Recommendation: yes/for
Change can be good, and Boulder County has recently experienced competitive county races aimed at incumbents in the primary (2014 coroner) and general (2016 county commissioner) elections. I prefer that change be an option, not a requirement. Voters may always decide that 12 years is enough time for “this” DA to serve.
By the way, I see this term-limit question as different from Boulder’s at-large city council where there are 9 seats. It’s harder to vote someone out of office when multiple candidates get elected. On the other hand, the power in city council is spread among the members of the body and doesn’t reside in one individual.
Website for the Yes Side
No known website – Info on a supporting website appreciated.
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
County Question 1D (District Attorney Term Limit Extension to Four Terms):
Shall the term limits imposed by state law and in Article XVIII, Section 11, of the Colorado Constitution on the office of District Attorney of Boulder County, Twentieth Judicial District, be modified so as to permit an elected officeholder in that office to seek and, if the voters of Boulder County choose to re-elect that person to a fourth term in office, to serve a fourth consecutive term?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
Resolution No. 2016-91 with details for ballot issue 1D
http://www.bouldercounty.org/doc/bocc/2016-91_DAterm.pdf
In 2009 voters approved by a dozen votes (!) 1D to allow our DA to serve 3 consecutive terms. (See – your vote does matter, especially in local elections.) This year the county commissioners are asking the electorate to allow the DA to serve 4 consecutive terms. Their resolution points out that Amendment 17 in 1994 did not get majority support in Boulder County.
A district attorney’s term is 4 years. Amendment 17 considered terms to be consecutive unless they are 4 years apart. If a DA becomes unable to serve while in office, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until a successor is elected at the next general election.
Recommendation: yes/for
Change can be good, and Boulder County has recently experienced competitive county races aimed at incumbents in the primary (2014 coroner) and general (2016 county commissioner) elections. I prefer that change be an option, not a requirement. Voters may always decide that 12 years is enough time for “this” DA to serve.
By the way, I see this term-limit question as different from Boulder’s at-large city council where there are 9 seats. It’s harder to vote someone out of office when multiple candidates get elected. On the other hand, the power in city council is spread among the members of the body and doesn’t reside in one individual.
Website for the Yes Side
No known website – Info on a supporting website appreciated.
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
County Question 1D (District Attorney Term Limit Extension to Four Terms):
Shall the term limits imposed by state law and in Article XVIII, Section 11, of the Colorado Constitution on the office of District Attorney of Boulder County, Twentieth Judicial District, be modified so as to permit an elected officeholder in that office to seek and, if the voters of Boulder County choose to re-elect that person to a fourth term in office, to serve a fourth consecutive term?
YES/FOR _______
NO/AGAINST _________
Resolution No. 2016-91 with details for ballot issue 1D
http://www.bouldercounty.org/doc/bocc/2016-91_DAterm.pdf
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