Former Assemblyman Dean Andal has filled a legal challenge to the wording on the Nov. 6 ballot measure to liberalize term limits for the San Joaquin County Supervisors.

The complaint filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court contends the wording is so vague that voters may be mislead to believe that term limits are being imposed when they are actually are already in place. Also, Andal believes the language is so ambiguous  that the four member supervisors who voted to put the measure on the ballot - Steve Bestolarides, Larry Rushstaller, Carlos Villapudua, and Ken Vogel - will actually be able to serve five terms instead of three four-year terms should it pass. That’s because all four are already in their second term and the ballot measure makes no reference to whether that applies to them.

The current language reads, “Shall an ordinance be adopted that limits the number of terms a person may serve on the Board of Supervisors and Board of Education to three (3) terms of office during his or her lifetime?”

Andal wants the language changed to read, “Shall an ordinance be adopted retroactively that extends the number of terms a person may serve on the Board of Supervisors and County Board of Education from the current two (2) terms to thee (3) terms during his or her lifetime?”

The measure is costing county taxpayers $100,000 to appear on the November ballot.

Leroy Ornellas - the lone supervisor who opposed changing the term limits adopted by voters in 1998 - is leaving office this December after serving the voter mandated maximum of two four-year terms.

The Tracy dairy farmer who represents part of Manteca and Ripon as well as Tracy and Mountain House has supported term limits publicly in the past. He has lent his name to the ballot measure arguing against passage of the term limit change.

Supervisors are each compensated $132,000 annually for serving.