GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Voters on Tuesday decided their elected city officials should now face term limits.
The vote was close: just about 1,100 ballots were the difference between Yes and No.
More than 45,600 votes were cast.
The results? 51 percent said yes, about 49 percent said no, meaning city commissioners and mayors can serve no more than two four-year terms each.
“On the positive side, it brings in fresh blood, fresh ideas,” said Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. “New people have a chance to cycle in, and then out of, office."
Heartwell is trying to be optimistic. After all, he didn’t support the proposal.
“I would argue this is one of the most effective city commissions that this city has seen in decades,” Heartwell told FOX 17.
First Ward Commissioner Walt Gutowski didn't support the measure either, but says the outcome won't have much of an impact.
"I didn’t think it would get us anywhere different from where we are," Gutowski told FOX 17. "We’ve always had some new faces and maybe had new faces with some more stability in the past."
At the end of 2015, Heartwell will have served the city for 20 years.
“I can tell you that the working relationships I have with key city staff, not to mention the working relationships I have with city commissioners, are critical to carrying out the duties of this office,” Heartwell explained. “That's gonna be lost.”
While looking back on his legacy, and what this current commission will be leaving behind, Heartwell points to successes such as fiscal stability. However, he says more could have been done with public schools.
“Could we have done more? Probably. And perhaps we missed some opportunities along the way to build that partnership and make it even stronger.”
It’s that relationship building that leaves Heartwell unconvinced term limits are effective.
“I think you just have to look at Lansing,” said Heartwell. He says you can blame all of the dysfunction in the state capitol on term limits, but the impact is significant. “Term limits play an enormous role in the dysfunction of our state legislature,” Heartwell said. “I'd hate to see that happen here in Grand Rapids.”
That opinion isn’t shared among all city commissioners.
“Because of the makeup of Grand Rapids - the people that are here - they won’t settle for anything less than exceptional,” said First Ward Commissioner Walt Gutowski.
Mayor Heartwell and commissioners Gutowski and Elias Lumpkins, Jr. will all be term-limited in their current positions at the end of 2015.
Both commissioners will be eligible to run for mayor.
That's something Gutowski is taking under consideration.
"It’s been the ultimate privilege in my life to represent the people that took care of me when I was a little boy," Gutowski said.
Before he makes any decisions, Gutowski says he'll be sitting down with his wife.
"My wife and I just celebrated 29 years of marriage, and before I ran for commissioner we had a good discussion about what would be best for our marriage," Gutowski explained. "I expect we will be announcing plans in the not too distant future."
