John Mirisch has served more terms on the City Council than any council member in Beverly Hills. (photo courtesy of the city of Beverly Hills)

Beverly Hills City Councilman John Mirisch announced that he intends to run for a fifth term on the City Council, challenging the city’s term limits. The next City Council election is on June 2, 2026. Three seats will be up for election including that of Mirisch, Mayor Sharona Nazarian and Councilman Lester Friedman.

In 2022, Beverly Hills voters passed Measure TL, which established a three-term limit for City Council members during their lifetime. However, in the same election where Measure TL was passed, Mirisch was elected to a fourth term in office. Measure TL indicated that a council member’s previous terms should be counted when determining when a term limit is reached.

But in 2012, then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris issued an opinion that stated terms served before a local term limit ordinance is passed do not count toward term limits.

“A term served on a town council that was served prior to the effective date of a local initiative term-limit ordinance may not be counted against the term limit imposed by that ordinance,” the opinion read.

Mirisch has cited the opinion in his argument that he is entitled to seek another term. His attorney recently sent a letter to the city stating his intention to run again.

“The city has taken an interpretation that no other city has done,” Mirisch said in an interview. “All other cities, including for example West Hollywood, that have instituted term limits, did not count previously served terms. It seems pretty clear.”

The city of West Hollywood approved a measure in 2013 that limits City Council members to three four-year terms. However, unlike the Beverly Hills measure, the West Hollywood term limits were not retroactive. Councilman John Heilman has served for all but two years on the City Council since the city was incorporated in 1984. His current term will be his last due to the term limits that were enacted in 2013.

Mirisch said he is open to considering the city’s argument, and has not heard back from the city since his attorney sent the letter stating his intention to run.

“I think we’ve made very good arguments. If [the city] come[s] back and there was a case we missed or there was another case that we weren’t aware of that strengthens their case and their argument, then I think we’d be open to discussing that,” Mirisch said. “In theory, hopefully if it makes sense they’ll say ‘yes we agree and this is the interpretation.’ We just kind of have to wait and see. Hopefully that will happen soon.”

Beverly Hills City Attorney Laurence Wiener responded to a request for comment on behalf of the city.

“The city attorney’s office is in receipt of a letter from the attorneys representing Councilmember Mirisch indicating his desire to seek a fifth term on the City Council,” Wiener said in a statement.

Friedman was elected to the City Council in 2017 and 2022, and is currently serving his second term. Nazarian was elected to the council in 2022 and is currently serving her first term.