Petitions seek term limits for Bellingham mayor, City Council
A grassroots group is gathering signatures for a ballot measure that would limit the Bellingham mayor and City Council members to 12 years in office.
Community First Whatcom, which has succeeded in passing voter initiatives for renter protections and raising the minimum wage, posted the proposed charter amendment on its website.
No one from the group was immediately available to comment.
“Term limits can help overcome the structural advantages of incumbency, fostering a more equitable opportunity for new leaders to compete in elections and reducing the barriers to entry for new candidates,” according to the text of the proposed Bellingham Charter Amendment 2025-01.
As written, it would limit the mayor and the six City Council members to three consecutive four-year terms and the council’s at-large member to six consecutive two-year terms.
Such a charter amendment would require the signatures of 4,751 voters who live in the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn told The Bellingham Herald. The petitions must be submitted by June 27 to qualify for the Nov. 4 general election, Henthorn said.
Bellingham Council member Jace Cotton floated the issue of term limits during a committee discussion Monday afternoon, where it was greeted with skepticism.
“I’m on my 11th year (on the council) and I still feel like I have a lot to learn,” council member Dan Hammill said.
Hammill and Michael Lilliquist — who is serving his fourth straight term — are the only members who could be affected by the proposal.
Council member Skip Williams indicated that the voters should be able to decide who will represent them.
“The ultimate arbiter is the electorate. The term limit is every term,” he said.
This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
