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READ MORE: Council changes committee’s proposals, asks voters to co-sign
As of press time, a mere 4.29% of registered voters in Jefferson County have participated in early voting for the November Special Joint Election ending Nov. 3, with only 6,345 out of 147,718 registered voters exercising their democratic right. It’s a stark reality that, while we can express our passions and opinions on social media platforms like Facebook, we don’t exercise our hard-fought right to speak up at the voting booth where our voices truly resonate.
In Jefferson County, at this very moment, thousands of would-be/could-be early voters are content scrolling through their feeds, ready to offer their two cents on any minor inconvenience – but won’t take the time to vote their conscience when the impact can be significant to themselves, their friends and family, and the entire community.
The proposed state constitutional amendments and Proposition 4, in particular, will decrease your taxes by increasing the homestead exemption to $100,000. However, the critical decision facing the city of Beaumont is whether to make substantial changes to the city’s charter.
Recent events have shed light on the political maneuvering behind the city’s Proposition A. Despite months of effort exerted by a dedicated committee culled from the community to meticulously craft distinct propositions on extended terms and term limits, the council majority chose to merge two distinct questions for voters into a single proposition – effectively stripping voters of their ability to independently decide on these vital matters. You can’t have one without the other, our leaders have determined before we ever get a chance to vote.
At the behest of Councilmember At-Large Randy Feldschau, who thought that having to vote on two propositions would be “too confusing” for the voters to understand, Mayor Pro Tem AJ Turner specifically asked City Attorney Sharae Reed if combining the two propositions would eliminate the voters’ ability to pick one option and not the other to a resounding, “Yes, it would combine both term limits and increased terms into one proposition.”
There was absolutely no doubt or confusion as to what was being done and, despite the clarification that rewording Proposition A and eliminating Proposition B was going directly against the charter committee recommendations and would limit the voice of the voters, the will of the elected officials vetoed the will of the people that elected them in the first place.
This move was met with support from all council members, except councilmen Audwin Samuel and Taylor Neild. The proposal to voters, against the charter review committee’s recommendations, now reads: City of Beaumont Proposition A: Shall the City Charter of the City of Beaumont be amended to increase City Council terms from two (2) years to four (4) year staggered terms with a three-term limit totaling twelve (12) years per office?
Voting “NO” on Proposition A is a chance to send a clear message to the Beaumont City Council, asserting that we will not tolerate the erosion of our democratic principles. Four-year terms are excessively long, and they hinder the public’s ability to hold council members and mayors accountable when they deviate from their campaign promises. It’s essential that we honor the ideals of our forefathers by demanding transparency and accountability from those who represent us. Our democracy’s strength relies on our active participation, and low voter turnout threatens its very essence.
It’s time for Jefferson County to get off social media long enough to get to the polls where your presence actually makes a difference.