Judge dismisses suit to get term limits on MoCo ballot

Published September 20, 2010 4:00am ET



A Montgomery County circuit judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to

impose term limits on local officials.

Judge Robert Greenberg tossed the lawsuit filed by Robin Ficker, who tried

to put term limits on the County Council and executive. Ficker sued the

county’s Board of Elections after the agency verified just 2,478 of roughly

16,000 names submitted on his petition.

Ficker filed the lawsuit under the Citizens Charter Committee, which

Greenberg ruled was improper because the group had not suffered an injury

that was different from the general public.

However, the judge allowed a lawsuit by the county’s volunteer firefighters,

against the suburb’s new ambulance fee, to move forward. Greenberg will make

a ruling by Friday, said Eric Bernard, executive director for the volunteer

firefighters.

Under Ficker’s measure, the term limits would have gone into effect after three consecutive terms beginning in 2014.

Ficker said he is considering an appeal.