Stanton voters are deciding on Measure HH on the November ballot, answering whether mayors of the city should face a two-term lifetime limit on service starting after this election.
Stanton already has an ordinance limiting city councilmembers to two full terms of service. That ordinance, Measure RR, was adopted by voters in 2016.
At that time, the city still elected all five councilmembers at-large. However, in 2017, the city adopted an ordinance changing the council’s election format to a “4+1” structure, whereby four councilmembers are elected by geographic districts and the separately elected mayor is elected at-large by all voters.
The city attorney’s office gave the opinion that Measure RR limited City Council service, but does not apply to mayoral service because the offices of mayor and council became separate elected offices after the previous measure took effect. Earlier this year, the Stanton City Council unanimously voted to place Measure HH on November’s ballot to rectify the imbalance.
An argument against Measure HH filed for the ballot says the previous term limits do already apply to all seats. No argument in favor was filed.
Partial terms — any term of service less than a full four-year term — would not count against the lifetime two-full-term limit. And someone who served two years as mayor could later run for a councilmember seat as long as they had not already served two years in that role.
A simple majority of voters in favor would pass Measure HH.
