UPDATE (July 26, 2023):
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Mayor Tom Henry recently vetoed a measure that would have put term limits on mayoral appointees to boards and commissions.
It appears the veto will stand – at least for now. At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, there were not enough votes to override Henry’s move so the veto was sustained.
Mayor Henry’s office released the following after the vote:
The sustaining of my veto on G-23-06-42 as amended, which sought to set term limits for mayoral appointments to the City of Fort Wayne’s boards and commissions, is a win for the residents of our community.
To ensure efficient governing of the city, state law requires the Mayor to make appointments to boards and commissions in order “to efficiently perform the administrative functions required to fulfill the needs of the city’s citizens.” Many of the City’s boards and commissions function as extensions of executive responsibilities. The General Assembly’s decision to not include term limits in legislating the parameters for mayoral appointments leaves the decision of whether to impose such limitations in the executive, not the legislative, branch.
A balance must be maintained between appointing new members and renewing the terms of members currently serving on boards and commissions. Members who continue their service offer expertise, leadership, and institutional knowledge.
I regularly review my board and commission appointments during and nearing the conclusion of members’ terms. As the one given the responsibility to make such appointments, I take this duty seriously and will continue to do so.
ORIGINAL STORY:
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Mayor Tom Henry has vetoed the City Council’s efforts to put term limits on board and commission appointees. Mayor Henry said in a statement that doing so would violate the principle of the separation of powers.
City Council has already set term limits for its own appointees – which Mayor Henry says the council is “free to do.”
The City Council is expected to vote on the veto at its meeting next week. Six of nine council members would need to vote in favor to overrule the veto.
The following was released on Monday following the mayor’s veto:
This morning, Mayor Tom Henry submitted the following veto message to members of Fort Wayne Common Council:
I am vetoing G-23-06-42 as amended, which seeks to set term limits for mayoral appointments to the City’s boards and commissions. The City Council is free to set term limits for its own appointments, but this legislative overreach by Council violates the established principle of the separation of powers.
For some time, Council has been preoccupied with the number of board and commission appointments made by the Mayor, many of which appointments are required by state statute. To ensure efficient governing of the city, state law requires the Mayor make appointments to boards and commissions in order “to efficiently perform the administrative functions required to fulfill the needs of the city’s citizens.” Many of the City’s boards and commissions function as extensions of executive responsibilities. The General Assembly’s decision to not include term limits in legislating the parameters for mayoral appointments leaves the decision of whether to impose such limitations in the executive, not the legislative, branch.
A balance must be maintained between appointing new members and renewing the terms of members currently serving on boards and commissions. Members who continue their service offer expertise, leadership, and institutional knowledge. As this bill takes into account all time served before January 1, 2024, the engagement of a number of dedicated citizens who have freely and generously given of their time and talent to serve our City would be lost.
I regularly review my board and commission appointments during and nearing the conclusion of members’ terms. As the one given the responsibility to make such appointments, I take this duty seriously. The bill proposed by City Council restricts my ability to appoint qualified people to serve our community by setting arbitrary limits on their terms of service. Thus, I must veto this ordinance as it limits me from discharging the executive functions I was elected to perform.
