YONKERS, N.Y.- Yonkers City Clerk dealt a blow to the campaign of a group determined to extend term limits for city politicians.
The City Clerks office tossed out a petition asking that city politicians be allowed to run for a third term in office, killing any chance the Yonkers Committee for Term Limit Consistency had of getting its proposal on the November ballot.
The document, containing more than 6,300 signatures, was invalid because it didnt contain the witness statements required by law, City Clerk Jose Alvarado wrote in a letter to City Council members earlier this week.
In addition, more than 4,000 of the signatures were deemed invalid, the clerk said, because the signees were either not residents of Yonkers, they were not registered to vote or the writing was illegible.
That left the petition with just 2,066 signatures, about half of the number required to initiate a vote by the City Council.
The petition, submitted earlier this month, was intended to extend the term limits from eight consecutive years to 12 years. If deemed valid, it would have gone before the City Council, which could have voted to add the proposal to the November ballot.
Supporters of the petition said last week that giving elected officials a chance to seek four additional years in office would bring stability to Yonkers.
We thought it would be a good idea, committee member Gloria Fields said. This way, while there will still be a term limit, it will offer us an opportunity to have leaders who are more acquainted with the situation and how things operate.
The Committee for Term Limit Consistency spent more than a month collecting the signatures, standing in front of supermarkets, knocking on doors and setting up at community events.
While no members of the committee were immediately available for comment, Robin Brumfield vowed last week the group will continue the campaign even if unsuccessful this time.
If it doesnt happen now, we will try it again next year, she said.
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