The most vehement opponent of changing term limits through legislation felt a lot differently just three years ago.
City Councilman Bill DeBlasio, who’s been pounding Mayor Bloomberg and other supporters of a term-limits extension, declared in 2005 that it was perfectly proper to enact a bill that would add four years to the terms of local legislators. In fact, he argued it was necessary.
“I think after extensive public discussion, after extensive hearings, I think we should move forward with an additional four-year term through the legislative process,” DeBlasio (D-Brooklyn) said at a Baruch College forum at the time.
“I think that’s so important because council members must work across mayoral terms. The Charter, I think, has not provided the proper balance between the mayor and the council.”
In an interview, DeBlasio said his thinking is a lot different today.
“That debate in 2005, I was talking about something four years down the road,” he said.
DeBlasio said further that he didn’t envision that such important legislation could be as rushed as it is.
“I’m seeing how the legislative process can be misused,” he added. “I’ve learned a lot about the process.”
As a result, DeBlasio said, the only change to term limits he would support is through a public referendum.
DeBlasio wasn’t the only elected official in 2005 to endorse the legislative route for amending term limits.
Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Queens), who is listed as undecided on the mayor’s extension plan, contended back then that legislators needed more than eight years to deal with an increasingly powerful mayoralty.
“I would use legislation to make sure our term was at least one more term than the mayor,” she said at the time.