Columnists :: Political Notes
Yoon wants term limit for office of the mayor, McCrea says Yoon is taking his ideas
by Brandon Simes
Managing Editor
Monday Jul 13, 2009
At-Large City Councilor and mayoral challenger Sam Yoon says he’ll serve no more than two terms if elected mayor and supports implementing term limits for the office of the mayor. Mayor Thomas Menino, one of Yoon’s three mayoral rivals-the others are South Ender Kevin McCrea and fellow At-Large Councilor Michael Flaherty, will end his current term as the longest-running mayor the city has ever seen, regardless of the outcome of this fall’s election.
"If eight years is long enough for the President of the United States, then it should be long enough for the Mayor of Boston," said Yoon. "Politicians, just like everything else, have a shelf life. After two terms, staleness begins to creep into administrations. Term limits ensure fresh leadership and a healthier democracy."
Yoon thinks term limits will increase the productivity of the mayor’s office.
"If a mayor had a set time of eight years to carry out his or her agenda, there would be more done and more accomplished in the mayor’s office. There needs to be a sense of urgency in city government," said Yoon.
Menino said last week in a meeting with reporters in his City Hall office that he thinks term limits have hurt California, because of a lack of experienced leaders in office, and that he doesn’t believe they should be set for the office of the mayor. McCrea has long been a proponent of term limits, and has promised to try to institute them within his first 100 days in office should he be elected. After learning of Yoon’s stance, McCrea sent out a release criticizing the Dorchester resident of borrowing his ideas.
"I’m glad that Sam is following my lead on these issues, I wish he would be honest and give me credit for introducing them first to the campaign," said McCrea, also referencing his stance on eliminating the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which Yoon hopes to disband as well. "I’m happy to give credit and share credit, example[:] Sam should be lauded for introducing the Zipcar concept to city vehicle usage."
Flaherty also released a statement responding to Yoon’s proposal for term limits.
"The fact that our current mayor just marked his sixteenth year in office brings new relevance to discussions on term limits," said Flaherty. "However, when it comes to making any decision about term limits, we must recognize that we are talking about limiting voters’ choices about who is representing their interests at the government level. For that reason, I believe government officials have no business deciding whether we should impose term limits. If residents truly believe that the issue of imposing term limits should be debated, then I think it should be debated by the residents, not public officials. That is why I would support the idea of putting this issue on the ballot for voters to decide this November."
Term limits can be implemented through a home rule petition in the state legislature or a ballot initiative. Yoon’s office said it’s weighing both options.
"The era of machine politics is over," said Yoon. "In the 21st century, we do not need mayors who become institutions and use the power of their office to build a patronage system that ensures their re-election every four years."
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