In every recent election cycle, there have been rumors of potential candidates considering a run for City Hall before deciding on the School Board – or the reverse.
There are, it should be noted, gaping differences between running for the more restrictive City Council and running for School Board.
- Only the Council has term limits.
- Only the Council imposes a ceiling (of $500) on cash donations.
Forty percent of the City Council, Vice Mayor Andy Weissman, whose service at City Hall dates back to the 1980s, and Mayor Mehaul O’Leary, will be term-limited next April.
The vice mayor insists he does not envy his School Board brethren who can run forever or accept unlimited amounts of donations.
However, “I never have been a big fan of term limits,” Mr. Weissman said. “But it’s part of our City Charter, something we have to live with.”
In the early 1990s, the now-retired Steve Gourley, history’s most quotable former School Board member and City Council member, was a crusading messenger for now-entrenched term limits.
The community that has closely followed Mr. Weissman’s public service career will hate to see him go to the sidelines in eight months.
“I personally feel voters ought to be the ones to determine how long a person should serve in elected office,” he said.
Herein lies a crucial distinction between the mindsets of Messrs. Gourley and Weissman.
Mr. Gourley served two terms as a Councilman (1988-1996), and stayed away for 11 years. He surprised nearly every resident when he ran for School Board, was handily elected and walked away from a likely reelection after a single term.
Mr. Weissman, conversely, is a lifer, as may have been noticed.
(To be continued)
