Onondaga County legislators approved bills Tuesday that will let voters decide who gets to fill vacancies on the Legislature and how long the county executive can stay in office.
The two proposals seek to limit the power of the Onondaga County executive. One would take away the power to fill vacancies on the Legislature and the other would impose a three-term limit.
A year ago, the majority Republicans and minority Democrats agreed to limit their own terms of office. There was no such agreement this time. Republicans, suddenly and surprisingly the minority this year for the first time in decades, complained that the Democrats sprung the proposals at the last minute, after 5 p.m. on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
"Publishing the agenda for Ways and Means and including these local laws after business hours and before a holiday weekend – that is just not transparent and is not in any way collaborative," said Republican Minority Leader Brian May.
May and other Republicans argued that letting the county executive fill vacancies was proper. But Democrats, like Maurice Brown, said a county executive could exert undue influence over the person they nominate.
"I think having the power be in the hand of one person, the county executive, is less safe than having it be in the hands of 17 legislators,” Brown said.
Brown said Onondaga is the only county in the state with a charter that lets the county executive fill Legislature vacancies.
When talk turned to the term limits proposal, Republicans again complained about the process, even as they agreed in general about term limits.
“Look, we agree on term limits,” May said. “We agree that this should be the voters’ prerogative at the end of the day.”
The Republicans said they wanted the county comptroller, currently a Democrat, to also be term-limited and wanted both offices on the same local law. Democrats put the term-limits proposal for the comptroller on legislators’ desks before the meeting and said it would be taken up next month.
Republican legislators and County Executive Ryan McMahon complained about the speed with which these proposals are moving, but Democrats say they are racing the clock to get them on the ballot for November. Voters have to approve these changes to the county charter.
They may never get to the voting booth, though. McMahon can veto one or both of them. Democrats may hold a majority in the Legislature, but to override McMahon’s veto would require a supermajority, and they are short of that.
