Jacksonville voters will not be able to decide whether local elected officials can have more time in office. That’s after the Jacksonville City Council unanimously voted to withdraw a bill Tuesday night.
Council members, the mayor, sheriff, and others can serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.
Councilmember Matt Schellenberg sponsored a bill that would have allowed a third term, but he withdrew it, saying the public needs to focus a different vote: whether to extend the Better Jacksonville Sales Tax.
Mayor Lenny Curry wants the tax extended to pay off pension debt. The tax referendum is expected to be on the August or November ballot if it passes the state legislature.
Mayor Lenny Curry proposed the tax extension in January as a way to pay off the city’s pension debt.
The public approved the two-term cap in 1991. Schellenberg says he still believes extending term limits is a good idea.
