Bill

City Council to vote on term limits bill

A contentious bill seeking to extend term limits is scheduled for a vote in City Council tomorrow, while Mayor Michael Bloomberg said yesterday that he wouldn't pursue a voter referendum if his proposal fails.

Foes of the bill haven't relented since the mayor announced an effort to extend citywide term limits from eight years to 12. At least 21 council members oppose the bill, and 17 support it, officials said.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who reversed her stance to back Bloomberg, is working to secure the 26 votes needed to pass it. Two-thirds of the 51-member council would be forced out of office by the end of next year if term limits aren't extended.

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens) had been among the 13 undecided but yesterday said he's in favor of the bill. "I believe it is far better to allow voters to choose experienced government officials at the polls than deny them that choice," he said.

Supporters argue that tried leadership is needed to guide the city through the fiscal crisis. Opponents say the issue should be decided by voters who twice supported term limits in the 1990s.

"This battle over term limits has truly come down to the people versus the powerful," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, a Democrat and probable mayoral candidate. "The right way to move forward is to return to the voters who made this decision in the first place."

According to a Quinnipiac poll released yesterday, 87 percent say voters should decide terms in a referendum.

Council members Letitia James and Bill de Blasio, both Brooklyn Democrats, have introduced a bill requiring a referendum in a special election to decide term limits.

Bloomberg has been against a special election, citing voting act violations and low turnout. He said yesterday he wouldn't try for a referendum if his bill doesn't pass.

 His comments came a day after Buffalo Sabres owner and billionaire Thomas Golisano announced he's financing an opposition advertising campaign to submarine Bloomberg's effort. The council doesn't have to vote on the issue tomorrow.

Richard Lipsky, a public policy analyst, said any delays would hurt the bill's chances. "The more this thing drags out the more opposition comes out of the woodworks," he said.

(Published by Newsday- October 22, 2008)