Downey council to weigh letting voters revisit term limits
City of Downey photo
DOWNEY – The Downey City Council tonight is scheduled to review a report from its Charter Review Ad Hoc Committee, a two-member panel tasked with recommending updates to the city’s governing document. One of the most significant issues on the table is whether voters should once again weigh in on term limits for council members.
The committee — composed of Mayor Hector Sosa and Councilwoman Claudia M. Frometa — met several times between June 2025 and September 2025 to review the Charter in full and discuss possible amendments. Their final report recommends changes to 35 sections of the document, but term limits stand out as the major policy question requiring council direction.
The committee — composed of Mayor Hector Sosa and Councilwoman Claudia M. Frometa — met several times between June 2025 and September 2025 to review the Charter in full and discuss possible amendments. Their final report recommends changes to 35 sections of the document, but term limits stand out as the major policy question requiring council direction.
Under the current rules, adopted by voters in 1993, council members may serve a lifetime maximum of two full terms. A “full term” is defined as serving 50 percent or more of a four-year term. Prior to 1993, Downey did not have term limits.
Efforts to soften the limits have surfaced before, most notably in 2008, when Measure G sought to extend the cap to three consecutive terms but failed with just 33 percent support.
This year’s committee stopped short of recommending a single path forward. Instead, it outlined four possible approaches Downey could present to voters if the council wants a reconsideration:
Keep the existing two-term lifetime limit.
Establish a lifetime limit of three terms.
Adopt a two-term limit with a four-year waiting period before a former member could run again.
Adopt a three-term limit with a four-year waiting period.
Any change must be approved by a majority of voters, and the council would also need to decide when to place a measure on the ballot. Staff notes the earliest options are June 2, 2026, or November 3, 2026. Costs vary depending on how many items voters are asked to consider — including whether term limits are included — but are estimated between roughly $372,935 and $469,157.
The council is expected to hold a public discussion tonight before deciding whether to direct staff to begin preparing ballot language for 2026.