News
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Voters aren't likely to be asked this November whether South Tahoe Public Utility District's Board of Directors should face term limits.
But customers of the largest provider of water and sewer service provider at the South Shore could see the question posed to them during an upcoming customer satisfaction survey.
The district's board voted 3 to 2 on Thursday afternoon against putting a question regarding whether STPUD directors should be limited to three, four year terms on an upcoming ballot.
Board president Dale Rise spearheaded the effort to ask voters whether they favored term limits. Director Chris Cefalu also favored Thursday's term limit motion.
On Thursday, Rise said he favored term limits because California voters have shown support for term limits in statewide offices and felt term limits would create more competitive local elections.
Term limits would also decrease longtime board members' tendency towards becoming more influenced by STPUD staff than rate payers, Rise said.
“When board members forget they are working for the public, it's time for them to go,” Rise said.
Director Mary Lou Mosbacher, who has served on the STPUD board since 1991, admitted it was a challenge to remain uninfluenced by some staff members she considered friends.
Mosbacher said she has long been a proponent of term limits, but said she favored four, four year terms as the maximum. Her fourth term was her most productive, Mosbacher said.
Director Jim Jones said he opposed the term limit proposal because it had the potential to sap institutional knowledge and experience from the district's board.
Term limits also diminish voters' ability to chose, Jones said. If people are unhappy with a director's performance, they won't vote for them, Jones said.
“Frankly, I think it's a bad idea,” Jones said.
South Shore residents John Cefalu and John Runnels voiced support for term limits at Thursday's meeting.
Resident Ken Curtzwiler said he wasn't sure whether he supported term limits, but said he would at least like the opportunity to vote on the matter.
Director Eric Schafer said he didn't have strong feelings about term limits one way or the other , but said more information on customer support for term limits should be gathered before sending the question to the ballot.
The board ultimately agreed with Schafer's suggestion to pose the question to rate payers on an upcoming customer satisfaction survey.
The survey could be done quickly, with the information gathered brought back to the board before the April deadline to put items on the November 2010 ballot, but it isn't likely, said STPUD spokesman Dennis Cocking.
Since 1950, 44 people have served on the STPUD Board, Cocking said.
Only six have served more than 12 years, Cocking said.
Current board member Jim Jones is the longest serving board member, serving a total of 29 years over two stints, Cocking said.
But customers of the largest provider of water and sewer service provider at the South Shore could see the question posed to them during an upcoming customer satisfaction survey.
The district's board voted 3 to 2 on Thursday afternoon against putting a question regarding whether STPUD directors should be limited to three, four year terms on an upcoming ballot.
Board president Dale Rise spearheaded the effort to ask voters whether they favored term limits. Director Chris Cefalu also favored Thursday's term limit motion.
On Thursday, Rise said he favored term limits because California voters have shown support for term limits in statewide offices and felt term limits would create more competitive local elections.
Term limits would also decrease longtime board members' tendency towards becoming more influenced by STPUD staff than rate payers, Rise said.
“When board members forget they are working for the public, it's time for them to go,” Rise said.
Director Mary Lou Mosbacher, who has served on the STPUD board since 1991, admitted it was a challenge to remain uninfluenced by some staff members she considered friends.
Mosbacher said she has long been a proponent of term limits, but said she favored four, four year terms as the maximum. Her fourth term was her most productive, Mosbacher said.
Director Jim Jones said he opposed the term limit proposal because it had the potential to sap institutional knowledge and experience from the district's board.
Term limits also diminish voters' ability to chose, Jones said. If people are unhappy with a director's performance, they won't vote for them, Jones said.
“Frankly, I think it's a bad idea,” Jones said.
South Shore residents John Cefalu and John Runnels voiced support for term limits at Thursday's meeting.
Resident Ken Curtzwiler said he wasn't sure whether he supported term limits, but said he would at least like the opportunity to vote on the matter.
Director Eric Schafer said he didn't have strong feelings about term limits one way or the other , but said more information on customer support for term limits should be gathered before sending the question to the ballot.
The board ultimately agreed with Schafer's suggestion to pose the question to rate payers on an upcoming customer satisfaction survey.
The survey could be done quickly, with the information gathered brought back to the board before the April deadline to put items on the November 2010 ballot, but it isn't likely, said STPUD spokesman Dennis Cocking.
Since 1950, 44 people have served on the STPUD Board, Cocking said.
Only six have served more than 12 years, Cocking said.
Current board member Jim Jones is the longest serving board member, serving a total of 29 years over two stints, Cocking said.
