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BETTER
TERM
LIMITS
For Wilsonville
Primary Election
May 21, 2024
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Primary Election May 21, 2024 ★
Measure 3-608
Should 1 day equal a 4-year term?
Measure 3-608 asks Wilsonville voters to clarify how term limits are calculated. This measure considers the reality of partial terms served and recognizes the importance of filling City Council vacancies to keep our city functioning.
Measure 3-609
Keep Wilsonville Strong and Effective
Measure 3-609 gives Wilsonville a chance to vote for an effective mayor to a second term, under specific circumstances. As our region grows and thrives, neighboring cities have recognized the strategic advantage of experienced representation and have adopted better term limits to suit. This proposal would amend Wilsonville’s term limits to allow a mayor, who has served two terms as a city councilor, to run for a second consecutive term as mayor.
two term limits measures on the ballot
Wilsonville voters approved term limits in 2020, limiting city council leaders to 3 terms (12 years), in a 20-year period. Since then, our community has discovered unintended consequences in our current City Charter’s language. This May, Wilsonville voters have the opportunity to fix these issues while maintaining term limits.
More on Measure 3-608
1 Day ≠ 1 Term
One unintended consequence of the term limit ballot measure, approved by Wilsonville voters in 2020, is it counts even 1 day served as a full 4-year term. Measure 3-608 provides a logical correction:
Anything less than 1 year (365.25 days) is NOT a full term.
Download the 2024 Primary Election Voters Pamphlet for the full, official text.
Helpful to know
Wilsonville’s City Council, consisting of a mayor and four city councilors, is elected to keep our city functioning. If one of those seats is vacated early, the remaining council members may appoint someone to fill in until the next election. Keeping all five seats full is important so consensus can be reached on city business.
start the clock
Under the City Charter, term limits are calculated from the first day of service, whether that be at the start of a new term, or part-way through. Community members who step up to fill a short-term vacancy may face a much shorter service limit (as much as four years shorter) than those who start on the first day of a new term. A YES vote recognizes that one day does NOT equal a full 4-year term. Measure 3-608 maintains that longer appointments (filling in for a year or more) should remain subject to term limits.
How we address short-term appointments will have implications for Wilsonville; in fact, we can see the effect today. Read the story of one City Councilor who stepped up to keep our city running.
Unintended consequences
Without voter clarification, this problem could have repercussions.
Someone interested in serving on the City Council may be reluctant to accept an appointment if there is a vacancy.
If no one is appointed to fill a vacancy, our City Council may not be able to function.
If two additional members are absent, the business of the City will be delayed, as votes cannot be taken.
A short story
Stepping up could lead
to stepping down
In 2012, Wilsonville’s City councilor-elect pitched in for 43 days to keep our city running. today, an interpretation of our City Charter could disqualify the People’s choice from running for a final term.
In June 2012, a City Council member stepped down due to a family illness. With election season underway, the Council decided to wait until after the November election to appoint a replacement. Julie Fitzgerald, our current Mayor, won a community-elected seat on the Wilsonville City Council during that election. She was slated to take office in January 2013, but was asked to fill the vacant seat for the final 43 days of 2012. She was appointed by the Council on November 19, 2012.
in 2020, voters decided: 3 terms (12 years) was a suitable limit, but by our Charter’s calculations, voters cannot re-elect a candidate beyond their second term if they worked an extra day on the job.
Julie has served just two terms on the Council: from 2013 to 2016 as a City Councilor and from 2021 to 2024 as the Mayor. However, under the current Charter’s language, those 43 days could be interpreted as an entire 4-year term. At the end of 2024, Mayor Fitzgerald will have served 8 years and 43 days and will be term-limited and ineligible for consideration.
Back in 2012, Wilsonville was down one City Councilor and was in a tough spot. Appointing the incoming Councilor-elect was the responsible choice. It respected the voters. Councilor Fitzgerald helped our community by agreeing to start early. Now voters must decide if short-term appointments, less than a year (365.25 days), should be excluded from term calculations. We support a YES vote because we want citizens to step up when we need them.
More on measure 3-609
A Strong City in A Thriving Region
Term limits seek to balance fresh ideas with experience. Here in Wilsonville, anyone who earns experience as a two-term city councilor could only qualify as a one-term, lame-duck mayor. As our neighbors in Tualatin did before us, we now recognize the need to adjust our term limits to benefit our city within the region. Measure 3-609 recognizes that a series of one-term mayors could disadvantage Wilsonville. It seeks to give our city the same advantage Tualatin voters approved in 2022.
Helpful to Know
In 2020, Wilsonville’s term limits combined the roles of city councilor and mayor into one bucket—no one can serve on the City Council for more than 12 years in a 20-year period, regardless of their position. If passed, Measure 3-609 would decouple these two roles in one important circumstance: voters could elect a mayor to a second consecutive term even if they served two terms as a city councilor.
A Mayor’s Role
Wilsonville is a small but effective city in our region. Our mayor plays a pivotal role, representing us locally, regionally, and nationally. They are our voice, whether negotiating with Metro and ODOT or securing funding from the Oregon Legislature and Federal government. Recently, our mayor has been actively fighting against tolling on I-5 and working to address traffic congestion by replacing the Boone Bridge. We want an experienced and capable leader at the table.
Sensible balance
Voters want a strong city council; one that balances new voices with experience. We can create a space where new leaders can learn, grow, and move up to mayor, and still be limited to only two terms in that position.
Download the 2024 Clackamas County Primary Election Voters Pamphlet for the full, official text.
Download the 2024 Washington County Primary Election Voters Pamphlet for the full, official text.
Susie Stevens
Kate Greenfield
Jerry Greenfield
Dick Spence
Leanne Spence
Laura LaJoie
Michael Bishop
Wayne Richards
Kerry Lee Keenon
Wade R. Keenon
Mary Pettenger
Susie Stevens Kate Greenfield Jerry Greenfield Dick Spence Leanne Spence Laura LaJoie Michael Bishop Wayne Richards Kerry Lee Keenon Wade R. Keenon Mary Pettenger
Charlotte Lehan
Christie Mayer
Bill Erb
Joanne Erb
Siobhan Murphy
Robert Nikkel
Katie Glouner
Jeremy Ingalls
Linda J. Ingalls
Dixon J. Ingalls
Charlotte Lehan Christie Mayer Bill Erb Joanne Erb Siobhan Murphy Robert Nikkel Katie Glouner Jeremy Ingalls Linda J. Ingalls Dixon J. Ingalls
Chelsea King
Anita Gregory
William A. Gregory
Matt Constantine
Jennifer Constantine
Tonja Willey
Cornelia Gibson
Tammy Sue Bradley
Susan Wiancko Harrison
Michelle Labrie Ripple
Tom Ripple
Tara Anderson
Chelsea King Anita Gregory William A. Gregory Matt Constantine Jennifer Constantine Tonja Willey Cornelia Gibson Tammy Sue Bradley Susan Wiancko Harrison Michelle Labrie Ripple Tom Ripple Tara Anderson
Maegen Vidal
Elizabeth M. Longacre
Daniel Porter
Wendy Porter
Garet Prior
Christopher Ahrens
Kristen Ahrens
Michael A. Mash
Janice L. Mash
Maegen Vidal Elizabeth M. Longacre Daniel Porter Wendy Porter Garet Prior Christopher Ahrens Kristen Ahrens Michael A. Mash Janice L. Mash
Betty Reynolds
Michael Anglin
Cynthia R. Anglin
Katherine Luiten
Dianne Knight
Mary Elizabeth Harper
Bobbie Humphries
Roger Fontes
Angela Roccograndi
Candi Todd
Betty Reynolds Michael Anglin Cynthia R. Anglin Katherine Luiten Dianne Knight Mary Elizabeth Harper Bobbie Humphries Roger Fontes Angela Roccograndi Candi Todd
Thank you to the residents who showed their support in the 2024 Primary Election Voters’ Pamphlets
FAQs
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Wilsonville’s City Council consists of five elected members—four city councilors and one mayor, who serve staggered four-year terms.
If a seat is vacated early, someone may be appointed to the Council until the next election. -
Yes. In 2020, Wilsonville adopted a measure that would limit all members of the City Council to serving no more than 12 years in a 20-year period. These limits apply to all City Council positions whether a member is Councilor, Council President, or Mayor, or has served in a combination of roles.
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Measures 3-608 and 3-609 aim to resolve different problems.
Measure 3-608 seeks to clarify how terms should be calculated when short-term appointments occur.
Measure 3-609 addresses concerns that our current term limits, which don’t distinguish between the role of city councilor and mayor, may lead to a series of one-term, lame-duck mayors. -
Wilsonville’s Charter language was modeled off Tualatin’s. Tualatin voters wanted to encourage fresh perspectives, but frequent turnovers left them without an experienced City Council. In a 2022 special election, Tualatin voters approved a measure to allow a mayor, who has served two previous terms on City Council, to run for a second mayoral term. They maintained 12-year limits otherwise. We seek the same opportunity for Wilsonville with Measure 3-609.
Download the 2022 Tualatin/Washington County Special Election Voter’s Pamphlet to see the text Tualatin approved.
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These measures have broad support from residents who opposed term limits in 2020 and those who favored them because they improve what we have today.
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These measures have broad support from residents who supported term limits in 2020 and those who opposed them because they improve what we have today.
About us
We are Wilsonville residents volunteering to spread the word about Term Limits. We are neighbors, coworkers, friends, students, teachers, business owners, parents, parishioners, dog and cat lovers, bookworms, sports fans, artists, gamers, cooks, and gardeners. Some of us crunch numbers, others prefer to crunch abs. We hold different political beliefs and affiliations, but we are unified in our commitment to cooperation and sensible governing. Most importantly, we love Wilsonville!
cool, But Why?
Most folks are too busy to deep dive into local ballot measures; after all, those abs aren’t going to crunch themselves. We’re giving our time to this issue so our friends and neighbors can quickly and easily learn about Wilsonville’s Term Limits measures.
Paid for by Wilsonville Voices United - ID 23578
IN THE NEWS
“Many felt that a mayor with experience and time to build relationships is better suited to represent the city.”
WILSONVILLE SPOKESMAN | FEB 26, 2024
Wilsonville Voters Will Weigh in on New
Term Limit Rules this May
