Controversy surrounds McKinney ballot as opponents accuse supporters of misleading campaigns
MCKINNEY — It may not be the biggest choice on the ballot in North Texas next week but it might be generating the biggest controversy.
McKinney voters will make an important decision about term limits for its mayor and city council and both supporters and opponents are accusing each other of trying to confuse voters.
Campaign signs urge voters to support new term limits, but some say they are misleading. Among those who do is Tom Michero, with Keep McKinney Unique.
"It stinks the way that they are manipulating voters," said Michero.
Michero and opponents of the term limit initiative demonstrated on Tuesday along a McKinney street with their own signs urging voters to keep the city council at two terms.
At stake is a measure to create term limits for the city council and mayor consisting of three 4-year terms, beginning with the 2025 election.
Currently, the mayor and council are limited to two consecutive terms and is why opponents say campaign signs promoting new term limits are misleading.
"It's dishonest. They are never saying that they're going to extend term limits," said Paul Chabot, with Collin County Citizens for Integrity. "I am extremely worried that this ballot proposition to extend term limits is going to pass."
"We're not talking about in perpetuity forever, we're talking about three terms," said McKinney Mayor George Fuller.
Fuller supports three terms which would allow the two-term city leader to run for one more term.
"I would say, for all of us, our first year on the job, on any job, how do we compare that to our fifth year on the job or our eighth year on the job, how that experience has benefited us?" said Fuller.
The mayor accuses opponents of the referendum of deceiving voters into believing it would allow him to run for reelection for three more terms.
The proposal has the support of a number of current and former city leaders. However, opponents say the wording on the ballot will make supporters of stricter term limits unaware that voting yes to term limits will extend them.
"The ballot wording is so devious that it doesn't make sense," Michero said.
The mayor says the city is growing at a breakneck pace and continuity in leadership will help McKinney keep up.
Voters will have the final say Nov. 5.
