MEMPHIS, Tenn. — We’ve always known that the Memphis City Council as a group develops a few disorders from time to time. But who knew that one of them was hard of hearing? How else to explain the council’s repeated moves to ask city voters to extend the term limits of council members.
It happened again this week when the legislative body approved on the third and final reading another referendum on term limits that will be put to voters during the August 4 county, state, and federal elections.
If approved, the referendum would extend the current two 4-year terms for all 13 council members and the mayor to three 4-year terms. The self-serving argument one council member has given for wanting more time in office is that eight years is simply not long enough to effectively learn the ropes of the job.
But voters have already spoken loud and clear. They have approved and reapproved limits of two terms. The last time was in 2018, but either the council wasn’t listening – or is refusing to do so.
Since the office of mayor is included in the upcoming referendum, Mayor Jim Strickland now says he will entertain running for a third term. But while Strickland was reelected practically in a landslide in 2019, I don’t see that – or anything else – as a reason for voters to change their minds.
It’s just too bad the council isn’t listening.