Thibodaux councilman proposes term limits

Thibodaux voters could have the opportunity to decide whether city council members should be limited to a specific number of consecutive terms they serve.

Freshman Councilman Eric Tabor, District A, proposed an amendment to the City of Thibodaux’s Home Rule Charter at the council’s June 2 meeting that would impose term limits on city council members.

“I feel it’s a basic principle of government,” he said. “I just fundamentally believe in term limits.”

Voters echoed that sentiment last year when Tabor campaigned for his council post. He said the philosophy was evident during the October 2011 election, when Thibodaux voters agreed the mayor should face term limits.

Four of five voters decided in that election that the city’s mayor should be limited to serve no more than three consecutive 4-year terms.

Tabor said in a statement issued the day of the meeting that the measure would have to go to vote during the March 16, 2016, election. The city council must first approve the ballot item by a four-to-one majority, and one councilman is already opposing the measure.

Lloyd “Chip” Badeaux, who is serving his sixth consecutive term in District D, said voters are qualified enough to limit city council members’ run in office.

“Terms limits have been a buzz word for decades. And it’s always been a buzzword used by a lot of new – not gonna say anything about him – but a lot of new elected officials,” he said. “…If he wants to limit his term, when he comes up for re-election, he doesn’t have to do is qualify. He can limit his own term.”

Badeaux’s position with the city council has been shaky this term. The city council sought his resignation as the president in April following his Federal conviction of hunting ducks with lead shot on opening day of duck season. Tabor also publicly urged Badeaux to step down in a statement issued that month.

The term limit issue is included on Tuesday’s meeting agenda, which will be held at Thibodaux City Hall, 310 West 2nd St., at 5 p.m.