Rumors swirled around City Council on Tuesday when sources close to Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he was going to run for a third term—a move that would be impossible without legislation extending the term limit.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday afternoon that Bloomberg plans to announce his bid on Thursday. If a bill is passed to allow him to run again, it would likely change the game for other politicians as well.
Council member G. Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx) has said that he will introduce a bill that would allow City Council members, the public advocate, the mayor, and the comptroller to run for another four years after completing two four-year terms. His bill was in the works before word came out about Bloomberg’s possible bid for third term.
Koppell said he has not talked to Bloomberg about legislation.
“I don’t know if he [Mayor Bloomberg] is favoring the exact terms of my bill,” Koppell said. “He indicated that he would study proposals such as mine.”
In the past, two referendums have reflected public disapproval of extending term limits. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum has proposed conducting another referendum to reinforce that view.
On Gotbaum’s blog, she stressed the importance of consulting the public.
“I cannot support extending term limits by anything other than a public vote,” she wrote on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s up to the people of New York to decide how long they want their elected officials in office, and they’ve already told us twice. It’s an insult to the democratic process and a slap in the face to New Yorkers to now render those votes meaningless.”
Gotbaum has frequently made statements clashing with Bloomberg’s mayoral policies and has widely been considered a contender for the 2009 mayoral race.
Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Upper West Side), who is in her last term, said she would likely approve a bill that could extend her political career.
“I’ve always said that I would like to be in office for 12 years,” she said.
Brewer said that having a separate referendum for the issue would be too costly, but added that there might not be enough time to petition for one in November. All the same, she urged both a hearing and a referendum on the topic.
Council member Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Spanish Harlem) and CC ’91 said that she would also consult the public. “This issue should not be legislated, it should go to referendum,” she said in an e-mail.
Lynette Velasco, spokeswoman for Councilwoman Inez Dickens (D-Morningside Heights and Harlem), said Dickens is still deciding whether or not to support the referendum and the legislation.
“She is considering it in view of our economic climate,” Velasco said of the first-term councilwoman. “No one can say that he’s [Bloomberg] not a good fiscal manager.”
If nothing else, Bloomberg’s announcement would attract more eyes to Koppell’s bill.
“The mayor’s indicating that he wants to run makes it very likely that my bill will pass,” Koppel said.
Melissa Repko contributed to this article.
