ELECTION 2025: Grandview to vote on term limits

By Brad Ziegler

Voters in Grandview will have the opportunity to approve a new proposal on the November 4th election ballot that would extend the terms of the city’s Mayor and Aldermen positions from two years to four years.

The Board of Alderman voted to place the term change on the ballot in their Special Regular Session meeting on August 19. The vote came after their consideration of research that had been done by Grandview City Attorney Carrie Reid on the term lengths of city officials in other neighboring communities at the Board’s Special Work Session in July.

The research showed that the terms of the elected officials in the majority of area Missouri cities was four years, especially those cities with populations as large or larger than Grandview. Smaller area communities tended to have two year terms. Mayor Leonard Jones said that “Grandview is the largest Class 4 city in the state that still has two year terms of office for its Mayor and Aldermen.”

Mayor Jones said that the extension of the terms of office would result in a cost savings for the city. “The cost savings from holding fewer elections would be significant,” Jones said.

“Those savings, together with a reduction in the time and effort spent by our community development staff each election cycle dealing with campaign signage issues, will allow us to better focus our resources on our community.”

Aldermen Damon Randolph, Sandra Champion Jones, Irene Kendrick and Thomas Rousey voted in favor of putting the proposal in front of the voters in November, while Aldermen Annette Turnbaugh and John T. Maloney voted against it.

Alderman Maloney explained that he opposed the change because he didn’t believe that longer terms would actually reduce the number and cost of elections to the city. Maloney cited other local jurisdictions, such as the water district and school district, which will continue to have frequent elections.

“There are countless ways to help save tax dollars without reducing the number of elections. This decision was made in a vacuum with no input from the public.”

Maloney said that elections provided accountability to elected officials. “We need to be able to explain ourselves and our votes to our residents,” he said.

Alderman Turnbaugh agreed with Maloney on the issue of accountability. “It is important for the voters to make their decision after two years, whether they want an incumbent or a new person to win the election,” she said. “This is about what the voters want, not what the Mayor and Board of Aldermen want.”

Mayor Jones said that he was grateful that the issue is moving forward. “The most important fact is that the majority of the Board of Aldermen voted to put this issue on the ballot so that the citizens of Grandview can vote on it. “

The ballot measure requires a simple majority for passage and if passed, the four year terms would not apply to the current terms of the Mayor Jones or the Board of Aldermen, only to a Mayor or an Alderman that is elected after November’s election.