By Adam Pagnucco.
Brad Botwin, Director of the anti-immigration group Help Save Maryland, has sent out the following email promoting term limits.
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UPDATE ON THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY TERM LIMIT PETITION – CITIZENS WORKING TOGETHER CAN SUCCEED!
Recent e-mail I received on the status of the Term Limit Petition which will revitalize the MoCo County Council and County Executive if passed this November 2016 by the voters. The professional politicians are getting nervous!
Dear Concerned Voter:
Thank you for signing the non-partisan term limits petition for Montgomery County.
We did it! You and nearly 18,000 registered voters in Montgomery County signed the term limits petition (only 10,000 signatures were required). The signatures were submitted on August 8, which means you’ll be able to vote on the term limits question on the November 2018 general election ballot. When passed — and we need your vote to pass the measure — it will limit County Council members and the County Executive to serving no more than three consecutive terms, or 12 years.
One week from today, on Wednesday, August 24, you will have an opportunity to support term limits at a Montgomery County Charter Commission hearing.
Here is information about the hearing: http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=16281
In order to testify, you must notify the commission in advance by e-mailing them at: charterreview.commission@montgomerycountymd.gov
If you can’t attend, but still want to convey your support for the term limits petition; email the commission at the same e-mail address in the previous sentence.
If you don’t want to speak out publicly on the 24th, please come to the hearing and stand with your neighbors in support of term limits for the County Council and County Executive.
If you want to know how you can help or need more information, let us know.
Thank you,
Montgomery County Citizens group in support of Term Limits sohenc@gmail.com
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The gmail account above belongs to Sharon Cohen, a member of the Montgomery County Republican Party’s Central Committee. This reinforces the central role played by both Help Save Maryland and the Republicans in pushing Robin Ficker’s terms limits charter amendment.
The state’s election law requires groups advocating on ballot questions to register with the State Board of Elections and file campaign finance reports. According to the state’s summary guide on campaign finance laws, “Once the petition process to place a question on the ballot is completed, a ballot issue committee must be formed before money is collected or spent to promote the success or defeat of the ballot issue.”
So far, no committee on Montgomery County term limits has registered with the state. Hopefully, any group advocating on the issue will obey the law, file reports and show their funding. Voters may find that information useful as they consider whether to support term limits.