Longer term limits for County Council rejected

Pierce County Council members won’t get to stay in office longer than two terms, voters decided in the general election.

A proposal that would have extended term limits for council members was rejected by a wide margin in unofficial results of voting that concluded Tuesday. Of the ballots counted so far, 63.6 percent opposed the increase of maximum four-year terms to three. Currently, two terms are allowed.

The change was proposed as one of two amendments of Pierce County’s home rule charter, which is the governing document – similar to a constitution – for county government. The other amendment – to require that any partisan county office (currently the council, the county executive and prosecuting attorney) that becomes vacant between elections to be filled temporarily with an appointment by the council of one of three people nominated by the political party that was represented by the departed officeholder – was approved with a 56 percent yes vote.

Sixteen percent of the 493,740 registered voters in Pierce County cast ballots in the election.

The charter amendments were part of a light slate of ballot issues for voters countywide. The others were three races for Tacoma Port Commissioner.

Voters in Pierce County joined voters statewide in deciding three state advisory measures.