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Heidi Harmon eyeing longer term limits for her SLO mayor’s seat

December 14, 2020

Mayor Heidi Harmon

San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon is wanting her fellow council members to consider changing the mayor term from two years to four years. If the council agrees, voters would make the final decision.

Of the seven cities in San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles is the only one with a four-year term for mayor.

“I did want to just plant a seed, I guess I would say, or just start a conversation, not to start the conversation tonight,” Harmon said during council communications during the Dec. 8 SLO City Council meeting. “Two years is just too short. Elections cause too much drama and too much distraction from the role itself.”

Harmon went on to ask the council to consider putting her proposal on the 2022 ballot. None of her fellow council members commented on he proposal.


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Why not make it permanent?


-8

Exactly, Heidi needs a job.


2

Many democrat leaders in CA act as if they can’t lose an election…they have no governor on their mouth and deeds…they seem to not be afraid to say or do anything they want no matter how unpopular…almost as if they know the next election is rigged in their favor…..hmmmmmmm do we use Dominion Machines here?….


6

Surprise, surprise, Xi, Putin, Harmon…


34

I have a better idea, how about changing the term limit rules for SLO mayor and city council from consecutive terms to TOTAL terms. That way local politicians can’t pull a “Putin” and keep flip flopping between running for mayor and council to do an end run around the term limit rules. Didn’t Settle do that for 30 years running before he retired? This is also how we ended up with Marx on the council again.


32

Once again I would like to complement your photographer for the perfect photo of Ms. Harmon. It pretty much says it all.


27

That’s kinda interesting


-14

Often thought she’s a lot like Trump — the coddling of her constituency and meanness to everyone else; the narcissism; the endless BS; and now trying to cling to office beyond the prescribed limits. Heidi Trump indeed. This is her way to escape the 8-year term limit.


As for those who say why not, well it’s because the mayor does not run the city. The mayor is a presiding officer, only. As far as decision-making power goes, she has no more than a council member. Rather than extend the mayor’s term, why not shorten terms of council members? 4 years is too long. Would be great to be able to hold their feet to the fire too every other year. Maybe they’d listen to us if they had to run every 2 years.


17

The point with a 2 year term for Mayor is that at every city election a majority of the city council must face the voters. Considering the power of the council to affect local lives, (as the saying goes, “You can’t fight City Hall”), a two year mandate preserves the theory of public control over the City Hall.


Also, as has occurred in other places, changing the term may also work in a backhanded manner to change the City Charter’s term limit for Mayor.


34

Exactly right. The majority is up for election/re-election every two years. This is how it should be.

Harmon could have run for a city council seat instead of mayor and gotten four years instead of two. Perhaps Pease would have run for mayor, or Christianson (who was not up for re-election). Then, even if Christianson had lost, she would still have her council seat for two more years.

Don’t blame the voters for your lack of planning, Harmon.


3

This, from the lady who talks to us like 5 year olds by repeating, “We can do hard things’. Haha… So funny how resilient she is not, and how strong she is not. At least Jan Marx never complained about this and was just crappy mayor and actually did hard things and ran each time. Heidi, you’re a joke.


40
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