Elected city officials in dozens of cities want to overturn term limits, saying current ones keep them from being able to tackle long-range projects.
"The campaigns against term limits, should they succeed, would drastically change the process by which millions of Americans elect a variety of their leaders - and how much power those leaders can amass once in office.
The elected leaders, some of whom supported term limits when they were imposed, argue that the limits severely hamper government and leave the officials little time to figure out the mechanics of their office. That forces them to gravitate toward small-bore projects that can be done quickly, rather than anything visionary that would take years to achieve.
'It has been an unmitigated disaster for the city,' said Phil Hardberger, the departing mayor of San Antonio, who supports a November referendum to lengthen term limits to four two-year terms from two.
'The learning curve of how city government works and how to get things done is steep, but when you keep putting people in, and throwing them out, there is very little accountability,' he added. 'We do a lot of churning here, but we don't produce a lot of butter.'"
FULL STORY: Across Country, New Challenges to Term Limits
UK cities, mayoral powers, and "tall poppy syndrome"
This morning over at Atlantic Cities, Richard Florida aptly refuted an opinion piece by Kevin Meagher that appeared in the Guardian last week advocating for doing away with the position of Mayor in London. Florida lays out several strong arguments in favor of a strong elected mayor who can act as an advocate for his or her city.
The Crucial Role of Suburban Voters in the Midterms
Suburban voters were instrumental in preventing a 'red wave' on Election Day and on December 6 in the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff election, enabling the Democrats to win a 51st Senate seat.
Brookings: A Demographic Post-Mortem of the Midterms
Young adults, according to a deep dive analysis by Brookings Metro demographer William Frey, were a key demographic group responsible for stopping the red wave that most polling predicted as the likely outcome of last month's midterm elections.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie