Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane will be seeking a third and final term this August. The finality has to do with the city’s term limits restriction. Three terms is all one gets to serve consecutively on the City Council or as Mayor.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton will not be seeking a third term, even though he would win easily. That’s because Phoenix restricts the Mayor to serving but two terms.
Which is better policy? 2 or 3? Or maybe a single six year term like Mexico’s President has? Or no term limits at all.
It doesn’t matter who you are being an effective Mayor of a large city like Phoenix or a multi-faceted one like Scottsdale takes time. Stanton has hit his stride. Downtown Phoenix is one of the most talked about places in the Southwest. He’s collaborating with Republicans on key education measures. In short, Phoenix is a city on the move, like Scottsdale.
Jim Lane likes to talk about his “reforms and results” in Scottsdale. He should. They and quite a few other reasons are why voting for him over a leadership Lilliputian like Bob Littlefield is an easy decision.
But it’s too bad Mayor Stanton can’t have a crack at a third term too. Most everyone in Phoenix with the exception of possible successors like Daniel Valenzuela, Kate Gallego, Michael Nowakowski and Tom Simplot would second (or third) the notion.