AUBURN - Challengers to the incumbent legislator in Cayuga County's District 13 said term limits underscore the need for a change.

If re-elected, Republican Sam J. DeRosa, 77, would be able to serve only two years of the four-year term, due to a local law which allows legislators to serve a maximum of 12 years.

DeRosa was challenged that if he were elected, the legislature - and not the voters in District 13 - would choose a representative for the district midway through his term.

DeRosa, a semi-retired businessman from Auburn, said the procedure for appointing his successor would be sufficient to ensure accountability to voters.

“I knew very well what I was getting into,” DeRosa said. “I want to serve 12 years. I am here to serve my people and do what they want me to do.”

But his opponents went on the attack.

Dan Schuster, a Democrat, said the term-limit issue is one of the reasons he is running for the seat.

“I was very disturbed,” said Schuster, 26, assistant director for the downtown Auburn Business Improvement District. “It is essential to all democracy that legislators are chosen by and accountable to the people.”

“Mr. DeRosa is doing a complete disservice to his district,” said Art Wenzel, 47, an Auburn events coordinator who is running on the Independence line.

Wenzel added that, if elected, he would champion the use of alternative energy and the purchase of optical scanning voting machines.

Schuster said he would work to make government more open. Decisions, he said, are too often made during committee meetings held at “odd times” so the public cannot attend.

“Sometimes, minutes aren't even taken,” he said.

Schuster said he would host a Web site on which voters could learn what is being discussed at committee meetings.

“They can have their input before decisions are made, rather than after,” Schuster said.

When asked whether the county should remain in the nursing home business, DeRosa said the county must change the rates at the county nursing home by building an addition.

“We're not collecting the money to run it efficiently,” he said.

Schuster said he does not believe the home should be privatized.

“The population is aging and we're going to have to utilize the services provided by the county nursing home.”

But Wenzel contended that the county should not be in the business of making money, but rather to provide services to its citizens. Trying to run a nursing home as a profitable business is not the responsibility of county government.

“I'm getting dementia just sitting here listening to all this rhetorical jargon,” Wenzel said.

Wenzel said county treasurer David A. Farrell should have resigned and should not be running for re-election. Farrell admitted Tuesday that he took primary responsibility for underbilling 31 municipalities $655,000 in health insurance premiums - premiums which have yet to be paid and have become a contentious issue this year.

Schuster said it's up to the voters to decide.

“They can choose whether or not it should be a resignable offense,” he said. Schuster, like Farrell, is a Democrat.

“If I were in his shoes, I would have resigned,” said DeRosa, but added a bit more diplomatically: “I respect him for what he feels in his heart.”