The fight over term limits for the Onondaga County executive and comptroller appears to be over. The county legislature Tuesday unanimously voted to pass a new law that will put two propositions for term limits on this fall's ballot.
One of the proposals calls for a three-term limit, or a total of 12 years in office. The other calls for a four-term limit, or 16 years. Whichever proposition gets more votes would become law.
This comes after more than a month of back-and-forth arguments between Democrats in the county legislature and County Executive Ryan McMahon, after McMahon mistakenly approved a law that would put a three-term limit on the ballot.
After sending the approval to the clerk of the legislature, McMahon sent a veto, which he originally intended. But Democrats said because the approval was received and accepted first, that is the one that would become law. The issue ended up in court, and Tuesday's vote is viewed as a compromise.
McMahon must now hold a public hearing and either sign or veto the measure by Sept. 9. He is expected to sign it.
Legislators also sent a message to ICE agents ahead of Election Day at its session Tuesday.
Lawmakers passed a memorializing resolution 10-5 that reaffirms armed federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, or representatives from another police agency, may not intimidate or access non-public areas at polling locations without a valid judicial warrant or court order.
Republican legislators Brian May, David Knapp, Tim Burtis, Kevin Meaker, and Cody Kelly voted against the resolution. Republican Ken Bush voted in favor of the resolution.
Kelly said he wants free and fair elections in Onondaga County, but the law already provides protections.
"I will always support county workers in upholding the law,” Kelly said. “This resolution doesn't do that. The law does."
Democratic legislator Ellen Block said the resolution was a response to concerns from two sectors in the community. One was a poll worker. The other was a group of New Americans.
"This is one of those situations where words do matter,” Block said. “They may not institute any new law, but support and words here do matter."
The resolution also encourages the Onondaga County Board of Elections and the Onondaga County Democratic and Republican Committees to distribute a protocol on how to respond to any unauthorized presence of ICE or other police agencies in polling areas.
