Onondaga County Proposition 1 — Term limit of three consecutive terms for County Executive and Comptroller

What it does

Establishing a term limit of three (3) consecutive four-year terms for the office of County Executive and the office of County Comptroller.

A YES vote means

The Onondaga County Executive and County Comptroller would be limited to three consecutive four-year terms.

A NO vote means

This limit of three consecutive terms for County Executive and Comptroller would not be set.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

Onondaga County currently has no term limits for County Executive or County Comptroller; this proposition (12 years, or three consecutive four-year terms) appears alongside Proposition 2, a 16-year (four-term) limit.

Spectrum News reported that the County Legislature voted 15-0 on September 1, 2026 to approve a negotiated agreement putting both options on the ballot, and that the option with the most votes takes effect only if it also receives more than 50% of the vote.

According to Spectrum News, the agreement followed a dispute in which County Executive Ryan McMahon signed and then vetoed an earlier three-term local law, calling the signature a 'clerical error'; the deal was reached in August among McMahon, legislators, the elections commissioners and Judge Joseph Lamendola.

A three-term draft local law posted by the Legislature in August 2026 would not count years served before January 1, 2031 or partial terms.

Put on the ballot by Onondaga County Legislature, 15-0, September 1, 2026 (local law approved under a court-brokered agreement; subject to the County Executive's approval).

From official source.

In the news

• Onondaga County Legislature unanimously approves deal on term limits · Spectrum News, 2026-09-01
• Will county legislature vote mean the beginning of the end of long term limit debate? · WAER, 2026-08-31

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Onondaga County ballots

• Onondaga County Proposition 2 — Term limit of four consecutive terms for County Executive and Comptroller

All Onondaga County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Onondaga County Proposition 1 mean?

The Onondaga County Executive and County Comptroller would be limited to three consecutive four-year terms.

What does a NO vote on Onondaga County Proposition 1 mean?

This limit of three consecutive terms for County Executive and Comptroller would not be set.

How many votes does Onondaga County Proposition 1 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Onondaga County Proposition 1?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.