Election Day will be a quiet one this year in Campbell
Term-limit backers cite need for 'new blood' at City Hall in push for change
By Steven Raphael
This election day, Campbell voters will be faced with a strange situation--a ballot almost completely devoid of city issues.
None of the four city government positions up for election--city clerk, city treasurer and two city council seats--are contested.
This is relatively uncommon for Campbell City Council seats. The last time the council seats were uncontested was in 1992. During the last three elections, they have been heavily contested.
The only city item that will be decided by voters is Measure F that would put term limits on city council seats. The measure, proposed by Councilmen Matthew Dean and Bob Dougherty, was on the 1998 ballot as an advisory measure. After voters agreed to the concept, the council unanimously voted to add it to the 2000 ballot.
Under the proposal, council members would be limited to two consecutive four-year terms.
"I think you can do most of what you need to do in eight years," Dougherty said.
True to his word, Dougherty, who is completing his second term, is not running for re-election. Four years ago, before his second term, Dougherty pledged not to run for a third, stating, "Two terms should be enough."
He said that after council members have served for several years, they settle into a routine and may cease bringing forth new ideas. Term limits would help the council to constantly have fresh ideas, Dougherty said, by giving "new blood a chance to find new ways of looking at things."
Under Measure F, a citizen could again run for council after a break of two years.
While term limits would represent a change of policy for Campbell, it is not uncommon for California cities. Campbell is one of very few cities in the West Valley that does not now impose term limits on its city council, according to City Clerk Anne Bybee.
Yet, some question the importance of the measure. Jeanette Watson, who was first elected in 1985 and is now serving her fourth consecutive term on council, said the democratic procedure should suffice.
"I'm not against the proposal, but I don't really feel it's necessary," Watson said. "If the citizens don't want you in office, they'll kick you out."
Of course, this also means when citizens are satisfied with a council member, he or she can continue to hold office indefinitely.
Traditionally, this has been the rule for Campbell. Although four of the five current council members are in their first or second term, "almost everyone in the past served over two terms," Bybee said.
If Measure F is approved by voters, terms served before this election will not be counted toward the two-term limit. Consequently, council members elected this year will be able to run again in 2004, and council members elected in 2002 will be able to run again in 2006, regardless of the number of terms they have already served.
This year, two council positions were available. Councilman Matthew Dean will serve his second term and Donald Burr will fill Dougherty's seat.
Burr, 65, served two terms on city council, from 1988 through 1996. Before that, he was Campbell police chief for 16 years, retiring in 1987.
He is currently in the unique position of being a councilman-elect-- not yet an official councilman, but guaranteed to become one. In fact, Burr is already treated as a council member. He is slated to attend a National League of Cities conference as a member of the Campbell City Council.
Along with four other council members (the current council minus Dougherty), Burr will travel to Boston on the city's tab. The December conference will take place a week before Burr is officially sworn in.
Bybee is the sole candidate for the city clerk position, which she has held since 1992. That election was contested, with Bybee displacing incumbent Barbara Kee, who was elected in 1986. Over the past 20 years, that was the only time the city clerk position has been contested, according to Bybee. Before that, Bybee had held the clerk position from 1983 until 1986, when she opted not to run.
Additionally, 1992 was the only time the city treasurer position was contested within the past 20 years, according to Bybee. It is uncontested again this year, with only incumbent Gerald Kennedy (who is married to Mayor Jane Kennedy) on the ballot for the position.
Bybee said the clerk and treasurer positions tend to be uncontested for different reasons. The city treasurer is basically a "figurehead position," Bybee said, that requires very specific skills. The treasurer reviews the city's bank statements and ensures that, if the city is audited, all the necessary paperwork is available.
The city clerk position, on the other hand, is the only full-time elected position, and candidates are required to have in-depth knowledge of and experience with the city.
According to Bybee, most city clerks are appointed, but when Campbell was incorporated in 1952, city officials wanted to ensure the clerk remained unbiased and represented the people.
"It's to make sure people have a voice in government," she said.
Campbell, California
