San Benito official pushing for term limits

Dec. 24—SAN BENITO — In Harlingen, Brownsville and McAllen, residents have overwhelmingly voted to limit their mayors' and city commissioners' terms in office.

Earlier this year, Harlingen voters strongly supported a measure pushing the city's May elections to November as part of a move to draw more residents to the polls.

Now, Commissioner Pete Galvan is calling on commissioners to place a proposition on May 6's election ballot asking voters if they want to set term limits while pushing the city's elections to November.

At City Hall, Mayor Rick Guerra supports taking the request to a vote.

But so far, commissioners have held off on discussing the proposal.

Inside the proposal

As part of his proposal, Galvan is requesting commissioners consider placing a proposition on the election's ballot asking voters if they want to extend the mayor's and commissioners' three-year terms to four years while limiting their tenures to two terms.

Meanwhile, the proposal also requests commissioners place a measure on the ballot asking voters if they want to push the May elections to November.

Election results, such as those of the city's November 2020 election, show local November elections draw more voters when they run alongside national elections, Galvan said.

"It's an option you present to the voters," he said. "If they want it, fine. If they don't, OK. I think it gives people the opportunity to be heard. You see other communities push for it and get resounding support. So I believe it's something the people would want."

November elections, term limits

The proposal calls for increasing the mayor's and commissioners' three-year terms to help align them with presidential elections, the next set for 2024, Galvan said.

As part of the proposal, officials would set up a committee to determine the commission seats whose terms would align with presidential elections, he said.

"Sometimes people don't even know there's a local election despite all the signs," Galvan said, referring to the city's May elections. "They think their vote doesn't matter — but it does."

Meanwhile, four-year terms would help elected officials follow through with projects they launch, he said.

"Knowing how budgets work, grant proposals — those things take time," Galvan said. "You can spend a year or or two getting funding and when it comes in, you're out (of office)."

Like other proponents of term limits, Galvan said two-term limits would help prevent long-serving elected officials from becoming ineffective.

"I feel elected officials get comfortable and the city stagnates," he said. "This prevents elected officials are getting comfortable and it gives other people the opportunity to run (for office)."

Drawing more voters to polls

On the commission, so far Guerra's become the proposal's sole supporter.

"Just leave it up to the people," he said, referring to Galvan's request to place the proposal on the ballot. "The people are our bosses. The people are going to be the deciding factor."

While the city's 2020 November election drew about 6,000 voters to the polls here, May elections bring in about 1,200 to 1,300 voters, Guerra said.

"More people come out to vote during presidential elections," he said. "The May elections bring very few people to the polls."

Pros, cons

Meanwhile, Guerra said he supports extending the city's three-year terms to four years to help elected officials follow through on the projects they launch.

"Projects take years to start and end," he said. "Four-year terms give you more time on projects."

However, he said he questions the call to set term limits.

"We do have a term limit — it's three years," he said. "If the people don't want you, they won't vote for you."

Still, he said he wants voters to decide, Guerra said.

Voters supporting term limits

Across the Rio Grande Valley, voters have overwhelmingly supported propositions setting term limits.

In last May's Harlingen election, 4,434 voters cast ballots in favor of limiting the mayor's and commissioners' tenures to four, three-year terms while 1,430 voted against the proposal.

Meanwhile, 4,366 voters cast ballots in favor of pushing the city's May elections to November, beginning in 2024, while 1,482 voted against the measure.

In the May 2021 elections, more than 80 percent of Brownsville and McAllen voters supported proposals setting term limits.

Commissioners mum

During a Dec. 6 meeting, commissioners took no action on requests to further consider the proposal.

On Monday, Commissioners Rene Villafranco, Carol Lynn Sanchez and Rene Garcia did not respond to messages requesting comment.

Election taking shape

In the May 6 election, Guerra's, Villafranco's and Garcia's seats are up for grabs.

So far, Guerra has announced plans to run for a second term while Tom Goodman, a real estate broker, has announced his candidacy for the city's Place 1 seat, which Garcia currently holds.

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