Florida lawmakers debate term limits for county officials

Rural officials are balking at legislation that would allow voters to decide whether county commissioners should be limited to eight years in office, arguing that the restriction would quash the voices of local residents.

The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Monday voted 6-2 to approve a proposal (SJR 802) that would put in the Florida Constitution eight-year term limits for county commissioners and school board members. The Legislature in 2023 approved eight-year term limits for school board members, but those limits are not in the Constitution.

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican who is sponsoring the proposed constitutional amendment, told the committee that voters overwhelmingly support term limits for elected officials.

“All we’re asking is, let’s put it on the ballot. This is overwhelmingly popular. This is what the voters want,” Ingoglia said.

But two Republicans on the committee, Sen. Erin Grall of Vero Beach and Jennifer Bradley of Fleming Island, voted against Ingoglia’s proposal.

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Grall unsuccessfully attempted to increase the proposed term limits from eight to 12 years. Grall said that, while she supports term limits, eight years might not be long enough for elected officials to get the “institutional knowledge” they need to be effective.

“It takes time to come up to speed,” she said, arguing that it takes “at least two, if not four years” for state lawmakers “to understand the scope” of the legislative process. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of our constituents to lose the institutional knowledge of the person who is willing to put their name on a ballot.”

Elected officials from rural areas also argued against the restriction.

Wakulla County Commissioner Ralph Thomas called the proposed term limits “an affront to the spirit of liberty.” Imposing eight-year limits “strips away the sacred right of local determination,” Thomas told the Senate committee.

“This proposal flies in the face of principles upon which our nation and our republic were founded. The citizens of each county who live with the consequences of their leaders’ decisions should be the ones to decide what limits, if any, are best suited for their unique needs,” Thomas argued.

Chris Doolin, a lobbyist who represents the Small County Coalition, said that voters in the group’s 29 rural counties make up just a fraction of more than 14.2 million voters statewide. Local commissions have experienced a high degree of “turnover” in recent elections, according to Doolin.

In the last two election cycles, between a third and half of local officials “were replaced,” Doolin said.

“The voters know what they want,” he argued.

A similar House measure (HJR 679) has not been heard by committees.

State lawmakers, the governor and state Cabinet members have eight-year term limits. The Legislature in 2022 approved imposing 12-year term limits on school board members and the following year lowered the cap to eight years.

The proposed term limits, if approved by the Legislature, would go on the 2026 ballot and would need 60% approval from voters to pass. The state Constitution addresses the structure of county commissions and four-year terms for commissioners but does not place limits on terms.

Counties with charters can adopt term limits for commissioners. Currently, 12 of the state’s 20 counties with charters have adopted such restrictions, Florida Association of Counties Deputy Director of Public Policy Jeffrey Scala told the Senate panel. Four of the counties have 12-year term limits and eight have eight-year limits, according to Scala, whose group opposes the proposal.

The measure “strips voters’ ability to self govern by forcing them to vote on term limits statewide and imposing their choices on other counties,” Scala said.

But Ingoglia suggested that small counties are opposed to term limits to protect incumbents. He pointed to Brooksville, a Hernando County city situated within his Senate district.

“When you look at the city commissioners on there, including the mayor, they’re all rock stars. Everyone could probably run for state House, state Senate. Might even be able to run for Congress. They’re just that good. So the question that these smaller counties have to ask is, are they really looking or have they created the environment where you have the good-old-boy system not allowing other people to run, or discouraging other people to run?” Ingoglia told The News Service of Florida after Monday’s meeting.

The Ethics and Elections Committee also on Monday gave initial approval to a proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 536) that would limit state lawmakers to serving eight years in the Florida House and eight years in the Florida Senate, for a total 16-year cap.

The issue is salient this year, after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration tried to block state Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, from running in a special election for a Senate seat. Mayfield was elected to the House in November after serving eight years in the Senate.

The Florida Supreme Court sided with Mayfield after the Division of Elections said she could not be qualified in a special election for Brevard County’s Senate District 19, which opened when Sen. Randy Fine submitted his resignation to seek a congressional seat.

The Supreme Court cleared the way for Mayfield to appear on the ballot, with a special primary election in the Senate district on April 1.

Bradley said she opposed the proposed “lifetime” cap on legislative service.

“I understand the intent is to kind of stop that ping-ponging” between the House and Senate, Bradley said. She suggested Ingoglia consider allowing legislators to return following a “required gap” in service.

“But if you serve and years later you want to come back and serve your community, I think that’s the most American thing you can do and for that reason I don’t support this lifetime ban,” she said before the committee approved the measure, which Bradley voted against.