County Executive Ryan McMahon on Friday vetoed a law that would have applied term limits to his own role and another law that would have nullified his ability to fill vacancies to the Onondaga County Legislature.
In June, county legislators approved a measure along party lines that would have limited a county executive to serving three four-year terms. McMahon would be grandfathered in, and none of his previous terms would count toward his limit. Had McMahon signed the law, it would have appeared on the November ballot, and voters could decide whether to pass it.
McMahon’s decision to veto that local law was not to maintain his own power, he said.
“Ryan McMahon will not be county executive in 2042,” said McMahon.
McMahon instead cited a lack of process. County Democrats introduced the local laws on the Friday evening before Memorial Day. He called the attempt a “stunt,” saying that if Democrats in the legislature had really wanted to pass the law, they would have planned across the aisle to find a law both parties and McMahon could agree on.
McMahon said he would not sign a local law that limited the term of just one elected official in the county government. Instead, McMahon said he would only sign a law addressing term limits if the county executive and county comptroller were limited together. He also implied the local law was unfair to voters.
“The voters impose term limits at some point or another,” said McMahon. “In some way you’re taking away the choice of voters.”
Under the legislation, voters would have had a chance to approve term limits on McMahon had he signed the law. Term limits do not typically require a referendum, however.
Democrats could still pass the legislation if they find two Republican allies to support the law. However, Democrats have signaled they may be open to a compromise. After McMahon announced his veto, Democrats put term limits back on the agenda — with the comptroller’s term limits added to the legislation.
Legislator Dave Knapp, a Republican, also proposed a second local law that would limit both the county executive and county comptroller to four four-year terms. Both the Democrat and Republican versions will appear for discussion at the Ways and Means committee.
McMahon expressed interest in supporting the Republican’s local law, which would need bipartisan support to pass the legislature. He said that given the long time it took to get things done in government, 16 years might make a difference over 12 years.
Onondaga County has only had three executives before McMahon. Two served in the position longer than 16 years.
Another of McMahon’s vetoes addressed the way that vacancies in the legislature are filled. When a member of the legislature leaves before their term expires, the county executive appoints their replacement. The last time that happened, he appointed Republican Shawn Fiato to replace Democrat Chris Ryan, who left the legislature to serve in the state senate. This local law would have allowed the legislature to fill its own vacancies, and would be subject to a referendum.
McMahon called the move a “pretty big power grab.” In his veto, he argued the law was “exclusively politically motivated” and would not benefit residents.
“Any efforts to strip the executive branch of power will not be supported, let alone any partisan efforts to strip the executive branch of power,” said McMahon.
He suggested the legislature should have negotiated a deal to increase some of its power while ceding power elsewhere. McMahon said that the legislature had powers he did not like, naming Democrats’ recent appointments to the OCIDA board as an example.
Asked if he would try and make a deal, he responded that he didn’t know. Legislature Democrats have so far not added legislation about filling vacancies to the legislature’s next agenda.
“Why would I be expected to give up executive authority to the legislature when they aren’t giving up any legislative authority to the executive?” he asked.
