Now that the dust has settled and chaos has subdued, News 12 is breaking down the Yonkers City Council meeting on term limits Tuesday evening.
The City Council voted 4-3 in favor of amending the city charter to extend term limits for City Council members and the mayor from three to four terms.
The speed at which the council voted on the legislation stood out as an issue for many constituents, as well as council members, but also spotlighted thepassion many have for the work Mayor Mike Spano has done since taking office in 2012.
About 30 people spoke ahead of Tuesday’s vote, continuing the intensely emotional comments that were heard at Monday’s public hearing.
After several hours, a bipartisan group of council members, including Republican Mike Breen and Democrats Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, Tasha Diaz, and John Rubbo, backed extending term limits.
The group cited reasons such as Supporting Spano’s work, not restricting candidates from the ballot and comparing their office to governor and Congress, which doesn’t have term limits.
Republican Anthony Merante and Democrats Corazon Pineda-Isaac and Shanae Williams voted no, taking offense to the speed at which the council moved the vote and feeling the charter amendment did not meet the will of the people.
Both Breen and Spano can run for a fourth term as soon as next year.
