By Adam Swift
Council President Marc Silvestri is making another attempt to introduce term limits for elected officials in Revere.
Term limits were a part of Silvestri’s platform when he was first elected in 2021. Early in his first year in office, he introduced a term limit motion, but he said there was little support for it.
Monday night, Silvestri introduced a new home rule petition calling for term limits. The motion would limit ward councilors, at-large councilors, and school committee members to five terms, or 10 years in office. The mayor would be limited to three terms, or 12 years in office.
Elected officials would be able to run for a different office once they hit their limit. For example, an at-large councillor could serve for 10 years and then run for a ward council position.
The term limits would not apply to any person holding office who has exceeded the limits on the effective date of the act, if it were approved.
Monday night, several councillors expressed their reservations about the term limit act, while one councillor said she supported it. The act will be taken up for further discussion during a legislative affairs subcommittee meeting.
“This is something that I truly believe in, it is something that I ran on in 2021, and was one of the first motions I put forward as a councillor,” said Silvestri. “It didn’t get much support, so I figured I would put it up now.”
The council president said recent surveys show that nearly 75 percent of Americans are in favor of term limits.
“Since 2012, incumbents have won 97 percent of the time in elections, which further highlights the need for term limits to help level the playing field,” said Silvestri. “The advantages of fundraising and name recognition enjoyed by long term incumbents can often disenfranchise new candidates and discourage community members from getting involved in the political process.”
The ten-year term limits would allow candidates time to make meaningful contributions to the city, but also ensure that they remain accountable to the taxpayers they serve, Silvestri added.
“We have seen consequences of extended tenure in cities just next door like Everett, where complacency can foster a disconnect between officials and the constituents they serve,” he said. “Implementing term limits will no longer only promote accountability, but it will also help prevent the kind of isolation that can occur in positions of power.”
Silvestri clarified that he was not suggesting that anyone on the council or in elected office in Revere was doing anything frivolous, but that he believes that term limits can serve as a safeguard against political complacency.
“We usually agree on most things, but I totally disagree with term limits,” said Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio. “If a voter is going to the ballot box and they are confident and comfortable voting for an incumbent, we shouldn’t take that right away from them. I think we need to give the voters a little more credit.”
Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya said she initially supported the term limit proposal, but after giving it serious thought, has changed her position.
“As a first time councillor in Ward 5, I’m learning every day how much time it takes to do the job effectively,” said Guarino-Sawaya. “If this motion passes, we risk removing good leaders just as they have hit their stride, we risk forcing someone out who is experienced, effective, and connected to their community, only to replace them with someone who may be less prepared simply because the seat became available.”
Argenzio, Guarino-Sawaya, and Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto all noted that there are term limits in the form of the ballot, with the councillors up for election every two years.
However, Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley said she supported term limits.
She said that whenever she talks to residents about term limits, they generally are supportive of them.
“An incumbent definitely discourages a newcomer from even throwing their hat into the ring, and I believe everyone should have the opportunity to serve the community,” said Kelley. “If we are truly talking about democracy and what our residents want, then maybe this is something that should be entertained by a ballot vote.”
Councillor-at-Large Robert Haas, III noted that the last municipal election, without term limits, saw six new councillors take office. He added that having a mix of veteran members and newcomers can be beneficial overall for the council.
