What must happen for Arlington City Council term limits to be on the Nov. 6 ballot

A group of residents is trying to change how many terms Arlington City Council members can serve.

Term limits supporters said they have collected 11,433 signatures to place the issue on the Nov. 6 ballot. Monday, the petition was turned to the city secretary.

City spokeswoman Susan Schrock could not confirm the number of signatures but said the petition will go to the Tarrant County Elections office for verification that it was signed by registered voters.

To get placed on the ballot, the petition will require 5 percent of registered voters in Arlington, which is 8,612.

If there are enough signatures, the City Council would vote on the issue at its Aug. 7 and Aug. 14 meetings.

If approved by voters, City Council members and the mayor would be limited to three two-year terms. The most anyone could serve would be 12 years as both a council member and mayor.

The effort has been led by Zack Maxwell, publisher of the Arlington Voice, who has been critical of the City Council in Facebook posts. He has said "the campaign is not about attacking any one council member."

Mayor Jeff Williams has said term limits could hurt economic development since businesses prefer stability when dealing with cities.

This story was originally published July 9, 2018 at 4:09 PM with the headline "What must happen for Arlington City Council term limits to be on the Nov. 6 ballot."