LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) — Lynn Haven voters passed four changes to the charter, but one of them caused a bit of confusion.
Under the new rule, the city’s elected officials will have term limits.
Each commissioner and the mayor will only be able to serve two consecutive terms, not including partial terms.
However, that doesn’t mean that will be the end of their opportunity to hold office again in the future.
“With the term limits, you can serve two consecutive terms as mayor or commissioner,” Lynn Haven Mayor Jesse Nelson said. “And then you have to take a break for two years and then run for office again. That way, we’re not putting a lifetime limit on anyone that would like to serve.”
“The people are tired also of the same people being doing the same things,” Charter Review Hines Chair George Hines said. “As long as you have new ideas, and new people coming in, you get different ideas. You get the stagnation of the same people with the same ideas. We never move forward.”
The term limits take effect immediately and are retroactive.
For example, even though he was reelected last night, Commissioner Pat Perno will have to sit out after this term is over, as this is his second consecutive term.
The only way Perno could run at the end of this term is if he ran for mayor.
