Whether term limits for Bent County commissioners
should remain in force is up for a vote in Bent County
next month.
At the very end of the lengthy ballot this year is
county Referendum 1A, which asks if county commissioners
should be allowed to remain in office for as many
terms as the voters wish.
Currently, state law limits county commissioners to two
terms, unless local voters overturn the regulation. Two
years ago Frank Wallace - then county commission
chairman - could not seek reelection after two terms
and stepped down. Other county-elected offices, such
as county clerk and county assessor, are exempt from
term limits because the rule has been negated for them by
referendums passed by county voters in past elections.
The Democrat asked two local citizens for comments
on the referendum. Alex Netherton favors repeal of
term limits, while Don Stwalley wants term limits to
stay in place.
PRO - Alex Netherton
"When you have someone qualified in office who is
experienced, who knows how things work, you do not want
to get rid of them if they are doing a good job," Netherton
said.
“If someone is doing a poor job then voters can get
rid of him or her at the next election or through a recall.
“There is no doubt in rural areas the pool of qualified
people who should serve in public office is limited. Once
those people’s term of service comes to an end you get into
less qualified people just to fill those offices,” Netherton
stated.
“If people are doing a poor job, let the people send
them home, not a law or condition that says it has be that
way.
“If someone is in office, on the right track and doing a
good job, those are the people you do not want to get rid
of.”
Con - Don Stwalley
“We have lots of people who are capable of being a
commissioner,” said Don Stwalley, founder of Las
Animas Oil Co.
“The incumbents right now are pretty good. I have
no problem with them. But we have had commissioners
in the past I would not want to see stay in office.
“The state has term limits on its top offices and they get
along pretty well.
“A new commissioner would give new ideas, new direction.
“I have no objection to Bill Long whatsoever. I have
known him since he got out of high school.
“This is not personal, it is a philosophy.”
Stwalley noted that other county offices that are
exempt from term limites are more of a career, “but commissioner
is not intended to be a career.
“Old George Washington, when he was asked to run for
a third term, said that the people did not want a president,
they wanted a king.
