Councilor Carmody on term limits benefits

* Editor's note: Council member Molly Carmody shared her term limits proposal
benefits with Yelm Community Blog readers as follows: 

This term limits proposal will help to keep new ideas flowing
and prevent potential abuses of power, while the laws that
we've already made in the past few years will help with 
continuity of practice, to wit:


   *   A formal budget calendar so that staff, councilmembers, 
and the public can easily learn our position in any given cycle
   *   A two-year budget cycle that corresponds with the
State of Washington's budget cycle, to more easily apply for
grants and funding
   *   A comprehensive overhaul of the entire budget
document, providing clarity and adhering to state 
Auditor regulations
   *   Department subcommittees so that councilmembers can
communicate rapidly with department heads and become more
knowledgeable in a specific area of government
   *   a semi-formal vetting/voting process (the "3 
readings" rule) which gives the public time to digest and
respond to proposed rules, creating transparency (this has 
not been voted into law, but is followed more often than not)
   *   a reserve fund, a repair and replacement fund, and a 
rolling bond investment policy to strengthen and solidify 
our financial status, even in times of emergency
   *   clear lines of communication between the branches of
government, using the city administrator as formal intermediary
   *   A comprehensive, stand-alone Procurement Policy that
will create standard operating procedures and a robust base
for state and federal grant applications

The term limits proposal continues that ethos of creating a
solid city government for years to come. Citizens across the
United States are demanding government reform, from
replacing the triumvirates at Thurston County Commission and
Port of Olympia, to establishing term limits at both State
and Federal levels of representation, to eliminating the 
Electoral College itself. Yelm can show that once again, it
isn't afraid to stand out in front and do the right thing
for its citizens.