POLL: Ballot question 1A (District Attorney term limits)

Shall the elected office of the District Attorney in and for the Second Judicial District of Colorado (the Denver District Attorney) be limited, as are the offices of the Mayor of Denver and the members of the City Council of Denver, to no more than three consecutive four-year terms, thereby lengthening the term limitation set forth in the Colorado constitution by one term, for any District Attorney elected or appointed on or after January 1, 2001?

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Rocky supports ballot initiative 1A (DA term limits)

This year's ballot initiative has drawn virtually no attention, so many folks wouldn't even know that the proposition is debatable. I, for one, have not yet read any opposition. So it's helpful to see that today's Rocky Mountain News describes the initiative, even as it urges a 'Yes' on Denver 1A. Below is an excerpt:

...why are we endorsing Denver Referred Question 1A, which would allow the Denver district attorney to serve three terms instead of the present limit of two?

Because every other office in Denver - including the mayor and city council - is allowed three terms, thanks to voters' decision seven years ago extending the limit from two to three. The district attorney wasn't included at the time in part because there was lingering debate whether term limits even applied to that office, although no such doubt exists today.

To be sure, Colorado voters rejected a referendum in 2002 that would have lifted term limits across the state for DAs. But Denver's 1A would not eliminate term limits. It would simply give the DA the same latitude enjoyed by other city office holders. A decade ago Denver voters likewise refused to simply eliminate all term limits.

For the record, we opposed three terms for city officials and still doubt the wisdom of the voters' decision. Without open offices created by retiring incumbents, elections tend to be listless affairs, with most races uncontested. That's precisely the sort of election that's occurring right now in Denver, where the mayor, auditor and most council members face only nominal competition, if any at all.

Ballot question on DA term limits passes

As reported by Denver's Channel 8 television:

Council did vote to refer to the voters on the May ballot a question regarding term limits for the District Attorney.

Council Bill 100 asks voters whether or not to lengthen the term limits for the District Attorney to no more than three consecutive four-year terms.

The measure, if approved, would bring the DA in line with all other elected City officials, and would lengthen the time in office by one four-year term.

District attorney's term

On Monday, March 5, Denver City Council will decide whether to extend the current 2-term limit for the District Attorney's office.

This topic was recently reported by the Denver Daily News, and the full text of Ordinance 100 series of 2007 may also be reviewed online.