Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson wanted the City of Hamilton to study municipal term limits, but could not secure the votes for a review.
At the September 13 Governance Committee meeting, Wilson introduced a motion asking that staff be directed to review the use of municipal term limits across North America, “including the practices of Indigenous Peoples,” and report back on how Hamilton could request the Province of Ontario to add term limits to the Municipal Act.
Acknowledging “we have many pressing priorities facing this municipality and our communities, many of which relate to, people living in despair,” Wilson said Council should still pursue looking at term limits because of its “importance in discussing the state of our democracy” and “to ensure that our local democracy is more reflective of community, that does what it can do to create interest, engagement and encouragement for people to participate in different and all modes, including running for public office.”
She says the current system grants too great an advantage of incumbency, which can be detrimental to good governance.
While some other councillors on the committee supported the idea, Wilson ultimately withdrew her motion.
Wilson will seek a third term
Following the meeting, TPR asked Wilson “What do you think should be the term limit, and are you planning to term limit yourself?”
Wilson says she does not wish to suggest a term limit for others.
“I would like to run for three terms,” Wilson stated.
She confirmed she plans to run for her third term during the 2026 municipal election.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 Published: September 17, 2024 Last updated: September 17, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version