I am proud to have worked with a number of concerned citizens in Carefree and have Rep Jay Lawrence sponsor House Bill 2721 that would allow voters the right to set or revoke Term Limits for elected Officials. While term limits are enforceable to our state legislatures and elected officials in chartered cities, they are not so for small AZ towns like Carefree, Paradise Valley and Cave Creek just to name a few. While it is perfectly legal to enact a local law for term limits in any AZ town, through a voter referendum, it’s not enforceable because the state has no statute that addresses it, it’s just quiet on the matter.
Thus, an elected official can use the courts to violate and disregard the will of voters in their communities and ignore the term limits that were enacted legally and by a public vote. HB2721 would change that and give citizens the ‘enforceability’ behind their right to enact Term Limits in their own communities should they elect to do so. HB2721 does not force any municipality to enact Term Limits, it even allows voters the option to revoke term limits if they wish. In short, good governance is a reflection of the majority will of the electorate and HB2721 would allow that by taking it out of the hands of elected officials and put it back in the hands of the voters where it belongs. Our bill has already passed the AZ House of Representatives by a clear majority; Votes 50-Yes, and 10-No.
Please contact your state Senate legislatures and express your support of this very important bill.
Sincerely,
Michael E. Farrar
Carefree
