Suffolk Voters Approve Term Limits For County Officials: Report

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Suffolk voters approved a measure that would limit the number of years and terms that elected officials can serve in office, Newsday reported.

The measure was passed by 438,755 votes or 85.9 percent to 72,027 votes or 14.1 percent, the outlet reported.

It limits holding the office of the county executive and comptroller, as well as legislators to 12 years total, without the terms being consecutive.

The law, which strengthens the county's current term-limit law, stems from a situation that arose in 2021 when a former legislator Kate Browning, who left office in 2017 after her term was up, sought to regain her seat in the 3rd Legislative District. Her attorneys argued that the language in the law did not preclude her from seeking office again, as her bid was not a consecutive one, but one that came years later.

An appellate court later sided with Browning and she was able to be on the ballot, but she lost the election to Legis. Jim Mazzarella.