MEASURES ADD TERM LIMITS ONE BALLOT INITIATIVE APPLIES TO ALL OFFICES, ANOTHER TO SUPERVISORS ALONE.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

One measure on Tuesday's ballot would impose term limits on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the first time while a second measure would impose term limits on all county elected officials.

Measure A would limit the county's supervisors, sheriff, district attorney and assessor to a maximum of three four-year terms beginning in December. Measure B would limit only the supervisors to three four-year terms.

County voters also will vote Tuesday on a third proposal, Measure C, that would amend the county charter to let Sheriff Lee Baca reorganize top management in his department, adding an assistant sheriff and four division chiefs. Measure C has no organized opposition but, by law, the changes need voters' approval.

The term-limit measures are a result of an initiative spearheaded by former La Crescenta activist Christopher Skinnell, whose group Voters Organized for Trustworthy Elections gathered nearly 300,000 signatures to put a term-limits measure on the ballot.

In July, Skinnell's group, funded by former county Supervisor Pete Schabarum - who authored the 1990 Proposition 140 measure that 52 percent of voters approved to place term limits on state lawmakers and elected officials - reached an agreement with the county to place the two measures on the March 5 ballot.

The group is supporting Measure B, arguing that term limits are needed because members of the Board of Supervisors face little competition despite the importance of the job. Each supervisor represents about 2 million residents.

No incumbent supervisor has lost a re-election bid in more than 20 years. Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich, Don Knabe and Yvonne Brathwaite Burke were unopposed in 2000. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is running unopposed this year and Supervisor Gloria Molina is opposed by college professor David J. Sanchez.

Supervisors' districts are so large and campaigns are so expensive that few opponents have the resources to mount an effective campaign, political experts say. However, four of the five supervisors seats have changed hands since 1991.

The group contends that Measure B opens county government up to more citizen representation and fresh ideas by limiting the number of consecutive years a supervisor can serve.

The group argues that 13 cities in the county, home to more than half of the county's population, already have term limits on their city councils and the state Legislature has operated under term limits since 1990, resulting in large increases in women and minority legislators.

In the argument against Measure B, former District Attorney Robert H. Philibosian, Los Angeles County Committee for Efficient Government Chairman Wayne Avrashow and Los Angeles County President of the League of Women Voters Sally A. Seven argue term limits won't necessarily produce more competition for supervisor seats.

Experience shows that once a politician gets elected to a seat with term limits, that person gets re-elected without serious opposition, opponents said. Aspiring politicians wait until the incumbent is termed out to run for the seat.

The measure's critics also argue that term limits take power away from citizens and, in effect, give it to lobbyists and bureaucrats.

The critics say limits enable politicians to jump from one office to another, without ever developing skills or a record of achievement.

The Board of Supervisors agreed to put Measure B on the ballot as part of a legal settlement with Skinnell after the county erroneously kept his proposal off the ballot in an earlier election.