Onondaga County officials have reached an agreement to settle their fight over term limits for the county executive and county comptroller, they announced Friday.
Under the agreement, two separate proposals will go on the ballot this November for voters to choose from. One is a plan to adopt a limit of three terms, or 12 years total. The other is a plan to adopt a limit of four terms, or 16 years total. Either plan would need a majority of at least 50% of the vote to pass. If both measures pass, the one with the most votes is the one that will become law.
According to the county legislature's Democratic majority, the compromise was possible because Onondaga County Court Judge Joseph Lamendola agreed to the both propositions being placed on the ballot.
"This pathway was enabled by Judge Lamendola, who waived missed deadlines and authorized consideration of competing propositions," legislative leaders said in a statement. "His decision allows a new local law to be submitted for legislative action."
The new local law will withdraw the previously passed local law, that limits the county executive and county comptroller to three terms, and was mistakenly signed by County Executive Ryan McMahon when he intended to veto it. It will also propose the new term limits and include both term limit proposals on the November ballot.
If it is passed by the full legislature at it's next meeting September 1, McMahon must sign it into law by September 9 in order for the proposals to be placed on the ballot.
"There has been plenty of disagreement along the way, and at times the fight over process regrettably overshadowed the policy itself," said McMahon in a statement. "We can disagree without ending up in court. I am pleased the Legislature agreed to the path I proposed and that we found common ground and a way to move forward."
McMahon originally proposed putting two proposals on the ballot, but suggested it be done in November 2027, and not this year.
