DALTON, Ga. — For the past 25 years, no one could be elected to more than three consecutive four-year terms on the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners.

But commissioners are considering asking the state Legislature to make a change to the term limits law that could potentially allow someone to serve up to six straight four-year terms, 24 years total, on the board if they are elected chairman during their third term on the board.

Dalton resident Ed Painter recently asked the commissioners to ask state lawmakers to change the law so that the term limits “clock” would start over if someone serving in one of the four district seats is elected chairman.

“Under the law now, if a commissioner has served two terms and runs for chairman and is elected, he can only serve one term as chairman,” Painter said.

Painter is the person who asked commissioners to place a measure on the November ballot that changed voting for district seats from countywide to just the voters in each district. Voters approved that measure and district voting will start in 2020.

“With district voting, the chairman is the only commissioner elected countywide,” Painter said. “Allowing those commissioners serving in a district seat to be elected chairman and start their term limits all over allows people who are experienced and understand the dynamics of the board and what the departments are doing to bring that experience to being chairman.”

Commissioners are the only elected officials in the county who are term limited.

Commissioner Greg Jones said he supports the idea.

“It seems to me it would be good to encourage someone with experience to serve as chairman,” he said.

Commissioner Barry Robbins said he could also support asking legislators to change the county’s term limits law.

“I’m fine with it. We aren’t removing term limits, just changing it for the chairman’s position,” he said.

Commissioner Harold Brooker is in his third consecutive term and cannot run for re-election in two years.

“I support the idea,” he said. “I think someone who has served on the board and has experience is probably going to be a better chairman than someone coming in off the street.”

But Board Chairman Lynn Laughter said she is adamantly opposed to the idea.

“We’ve had term limits in Whitfield County for 25 years and to my knowledge, the only person who has been affected and term limited off the board was Mike Cowan,” she said.

“I believe in term limits. I’d like to see term limits statewide and nationwide,” she said.

But Laughter said there’s enough support on the board that she expects the measure will be placed on the agenda for a future meeting.

If commissioners do approve a resolution, it would be up to the members of the local legislative delegation whether they would sponsor a bill to change the term limits law. Traditionally, lawmakers have required all five members of the commission to support local legislation before they will back it.

State Rep. Jason Ridley, R-Chatsworth, said he could support a piece of local legislation even without unanimous agreement from the commissioners.

“I believe the majority rules,” he said. “But that’s just me. The local delegation would have to talk and see if this is something we would support. I imagine feedback from the public would play a part in our decision.”

But state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, said he would want unanimous support from the commissioners before backing such a bill.

“At the end of the day, you are talking theoretically about someone being on the board 24 years. That’s a long time,” he said.

State Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, said he would also want the request to be unanimous.

“I don’t want to make a decision that will affect everyone just for the few,” he said.

In 2009, county commissioners unanimously requested that their term limits be abolished. But the local legislative delegation did not introduce such legislation, with some lawmakers citing opposition from county residents.

Ken Ellinger, professor of political science at Dalton State College, said support for term limits is based on opposition to career politicians.

“Incumbents have so many advantages that it’s often an uphill battle for challengers. Incumbents generally have greater name recognition, better fundraising. The odds are often so great that these people don’t face challengers at all,” he said. “The advantages are greater in national offices and state offices but they are still there for local offices.”