Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon on Wednesday vetoed the second attempt to limit the next county executive’s term of office. Or did he?
McMahon held the required public hearing on the plan approved by the Democratic-led legislature to ask voters whether future county executives and the county comptroller should be limited to 12 years in office. It was a packed hearing, with most supporting the measure and a few opposing.
After the hearing, McMahon, a Republican, said plainly he would veto the measure because it was too partisan.
But the response McMahon's office sent to the legislature said that he accepted – not vetoed – the bill. After the error was noticed, the intended veto measure was sent to the Legislature.
It might have been an error, but Democrats say they will try to make McMahon live with it.
Legislature Chair Nicole Watts said the rules say that when a decision is received by the Clerk of the Legislature and accepted by the clerk, that’s the final decision. The message accepting the measure was accepted by the clerk before the veto measure arrived, according to Watts.
We’re waiting for a response from the County Executive’s office.
This story will be updated.
