The Chamber of Greater Baton Rouge announced Tuesday they willnot collectively sponsor Austin 6’s term limit petition.
The petition seeks to bypass the Metropolitan Council by puttingan eight year term limit amendment for appointed board andcommission members on the Nov. 2 ballot for voters to decide.
The Chamber is a Baton Rouge business organization committed tofurthering economic and community development.
Chamber chairman Bill Benedetto said although they are in favorof term limits, they will not sponsor the petition as anorganization.
“We feel like we would be better served if we work to make thesechanges within the [Metro] council,” Benedetto said.
The council voted against term limits three times in April.
Benedetto said council members represent their own districts andvote according to what their constituents want.
He said if the council member’s district does not agree withtheir representative’s vote on term limits, they should notre-elect him.
“This is a representative government,” Benedetto said.”Governance by initiative is not a good thing.”
Mike Polito, who is the term limits project leader of Austin 6and also an executive Chamber member, said the Chamber, as a whole,does not believe the petition should be used to affect change inBaton Rouge.
“[The Chamber] is a more passive organization, than Austin 6,”Polito said.
Austin 6 petition chairperson Pennie Landry said in a statementsent to group members, “It is indeed disappointing that themajority of the Chamber leadership can’t support progress byproactive citizens.”
Landry encouraged Austin 6 supporters to contact Chamber membersto express their opinion.
Bryan Costello, industrial engineering senior, said he believesin term limits in general, but is concerned about the wording ofAustin 6’s petition because it puts no limit on the times memberscan serve on separate boards and commissions.
“I hope it would not allow the same people to just rotatethrough the various committees,” Costello said in an e-mail.
An April 24 article in The Advocate said outgoing councilman JimBenham of District 12, does not support term limits.
Benham told the Advocate, “it makes people feel good,” but doeslittle else.
Jason Wesley, University senior, is currently running forBenham’s seat on the Metro Council, and said he support Austin 6’spetition.
Wesley said there are several people that would like to fill theboards and commissions, so Baton Rouge needs some kind of turnover.
“You can’t have change if you keep appointing the status quo,”Wesley said.