Chattanooga City Council discusses term limits

New legislation proposes four-year terms for council members, municipal elections in August

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — A new legislation was discussed tonight by Chattanooga City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod that could provide term limits for city council members.

The ordinance would set term limits to four consecutive four-year terms for Chattanooga’s council members.

In a 7-2 vote in favor of further discussion, the Chattanooga City Council could be getting closer to new term limits.

Coonrod believes this could lead to greater turnout for both Black and young voters, saying many aren’t hitting the polls because some candidates aren’t “speaking in the middle” of key issues.

“For the Black community, I don’t think it’s voter fatigue,” Coonrod said. “But I think, for us, a lot of it is the conflict depends on who’s running and what issues are they speaking to that’s going to garner a response for them to come out or that’s going to interest our millennials to engage them in a voting process. Right now, there [are] a lot of them that aren’t.”

Coonrod’s ordinance also states that “elections for Mayor and City Council members” would be held on the first Tuesday in August every four years “if needed to reduce election costs.”

Council Chair Darrin Ledford believes this could lead to city races becoming “lost” in the midst of state elections and “national politics.”

“We’re going to be a roll-off — that’s a term that means an afterthought,” Ledford said. “I think we are doing a disservice to those who are interested in local issues by trying to compete with presidential elections and state elections. I think that defeats the purpose.”

Coonrod says the city is already “lost” to greater political interests throughout both the state and country.

Regardless of whether term limits become official or not, she’s grateful that conversations regarding them are happening.

“We can’t continue to keep coming around election time and posing the question saying why Black people don’t want to come out and vote, why our young people aren’t registering to vote,” Coonrod said.

Coonrod says that should the council vote to move forward on term limits for board members, Chattanoogans would get the final say on if it happens.

She says the matter would be voted on on ballots as a referendum for the community to decide what comes next.