Coin toss determines term lengths for county legislators

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August 6, 2009

By JOE LoTEMPLIO The Press Republican Thu Aug 06, 2009, 04:52 PM EDT

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PLATTSBURGH — Clinton County legislators used an old-fashioned method for solving an issue Wednesday night: They flipped a coin.

A coin was tossed to see which five of the 10 legislative areas will have to seek a two-year term in the 2011 election rather than a four-year term.

Having five legislative areas run for two-year terms in 2011 will allow for the terms of all 10 seats to be staggered with five running every two years thereafter.

Terms will go back to four years for all legislators after the 2011 election.

Democrat Harry McManus (Area 1, Champlain) tossed the coin before Wednesday night's Finance Committee meeting, and Republican Sam Trombley (Area 2, Ellenburg) called it in the air.

Rules laid out before the toss by Legislature Chairman Jimmy Langley (R-Area 7, Peru) called for Trombley to represent the even-numbered areas and McManus the odd-numbered areas.

Whoever got the call right, those areas would run for the two-year terms.

Trombley called heads, and after the vintage bicentennial coin rolled to a stop, it showed heads, meaning those in areas 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 will run for two-year terms in 2011.

Langley said tossing a coin seemed as fair a way as any to determine who would run for the shorter terms.

"How else would you do it?" Langley asked.

Some legislators only wanted another two years, Langley said, while some wanted four years.

"It all depends on how you look at it.

"Terms for state offices and Congress are for two years, and we used to have two-year terms so this is nothing new."

A public hearing on staggering the terms of office will be held Wednesday, Aug. 26, before the regular legislature meeting.

Legislators will also hear comments on abolishing term limits for legislators, which were approved in 1996, limiting legislators to no more than 12 consecutive years in office.

Both staggering terms and abolishing term limits must be put before voters in the November election for approval.

E-mail Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com

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