Now Mayor can three-peat

The third term is the charm in New York.
That’s because the City Council voted 29-22 to extend term limits for themselves, the Mayor, Comptroller, Public Advocate and the Borough Presidents.
After a passion-filled debate with Councilmembers on both sides of the issue making their cases for and against the bill Mayor Bloomberg has lobbied hard for since he introduced it recently, the Mayor seemed triumphant in the bill’s passage.
“Today, the majority of the City Council decided to give the people of New York a fuller choice in the November, 2009 election,” Bloomberg said. “I believe that
was the right choice, and I want to thank Speaker Quinn for her leadership.”
Quinn, who has been a major ally of Mayor Bloomberg, was crucial in helping the mayor make sure there were enough votes to pass, but with the close vote, many Councilmembers were clearly not happy with the result.
It’s upsetting, but not unexpected,” said City Councilmember John Liu, who voted against the mayor’s bill. “Unfortunately, a lot of people are upset, and this will cast a dark cloud over city hall for years to come.”
The vote, on Thursday, October 23, came about an hour after the Council voted down an amendment that would have called for a public vote in a special election to endorse their move. The amendment was voted down by the same 29-22 count.
“The issue of extending term limits has gone to the people twice, and any revisiting of the issue should have gone back to the people,” City Councilmember James Gennaro said. “I voted today for an amendment to bring this issue to a vote in a public referendum, and voted no on Mayor Bloomberg’s effort to extend term limits without a public referendum, because the people of New York City deserve no less than to have their opinion count.”
Councilmembers, who professed indecision prior to the vote all voted in favor of the measure, “Intro 845,” which changed the City Charter to allow “three full consecutive terms.” The law also allows for repeal by a popular referendum.
City Comptroller William Thompson and Queens/Brooklyn Congressmember Anthony Weiner blasted the Council’s decision and vowed to challenge Bloomberg for mayor in 2009. On Monday, October 27, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum indicated she would likely not seek reelection to her office while other candidates continued to mull their political future.
Although many Councilmembers and public interest groups reacted negatively to the decision, Bloomberg said that it is now time for everyone in city government to continue working for the people.
“Those of us who work on both sides of City Hall must now move forward with the important decisions that face us, particularly finding ways to soften the fallout from the economic downturn and balancing our budget as revenues decline,” Bloomberg said.