Three years or four? Venice Council to host public hearing on proposal to lengthen terms

Voters will be asked to weigh benefit of opportunity to vote in council members every year vs even-year elections when more people factor in the decision

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

VENICE – The Venice City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposed referendum that would ask city voters to approve a change in term lengths from three-years to four for council members and end the practice of sending city voters to the polls every year.

Instead, city elections would be conducted in even years and coincide elections for either president or governor.

If voters approve the referendum, it would eliminate elections in 2025 and 2027, as well as grandfather in one-year extensions in the terms for council Seats 3 through 7.

The only two council members who would not benefit from a bonus year are Joan Farrell in Seat 1 and Ron Smith in Seat 2.

If voters approve the referendum on Nov. 5, then the candidates for Seat 3 and 4 who are up for election this year – would serve four-year terms and be up for election again during Presidential election years.

The occupants of Seats 5, 6 and 7 – Rick Howard, Rachel Frank and Mayor Nick Pachota, respectively – would have one-year extensions and not have to run again until 2026.

In that race, the occupants of Seats 1, 2 and 5 would be seeking four-year terms while the occupant of Seats 6 and 7 would run for two-year terms, which would align the race for those seats with the Presidential election.

Tempers flare in April during split Venice council vote

Smith contended that voters should be asked to approve a switch by which the next time a seat came up for election in an even year, it would be for a four-year term.

“This is how you do it in an honest way, in a non-corrupt way, very simple ... you make the rule that when a seat comes up next in an even year, you will be running for a four-year term,” he said when the issue was discussed last month.

Helen Moore, who has since decided against seeking a third term in Seat 3, expressed her anger with Smith, who also linked the election change to input from either political parties or developers.

“There is no corrupt proceeding and I absolutely resent to the maximum degree that there’s some corrupt, nefarious, outsider influencing anything,” Moore said.

Resident group voices opposition

In the weeks since that decision, council members have been peppered with emails asking them to scrap the referendum proposal.

Venice Thrives, a local citizens group, emailed city residents on May 23, urging people to email their concerns or attend this week's meeting to voice their opposition.

Venice Thrives highlighted a loss of the ability to elect new members every year, and said that campaigns would be longer and more expensive, with candidates needing to spend more money to get their message out.

It shared a concern expressed by Smith that three council members would receive bonus years and that the council did not consult its Charter Review Committee.

More frequent elections vs. increased voter participation

Council members who supported the change highlighted that elections would likely see an increase in voter participation. A 10-year history of voter turnout included in background materials for the upcoming meeting pointed to an average voter turnout in odd years of only 37.5% vs. 61.6% in even years.

The council meets at a.m. Tuesday in chambers at City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave.

A second reading of the proposed ordinance is scheduled for June 11.